KNYSNA NEWS - Damon Terblanche, a humble, up-and-coming local cyclist from Dam se Bos reached heights he might have thought were never possible when he represented South Africa at the African Mountain Bike XCO Continental Championships, where he placed fifth in the U23 category.
The championships were held at Thaba Trails in Johannesburg from 2 to 4 June, and Damon (22) faced 30 tough, seasoned cyclists from South Africa, Ghana, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Morocco, Botswana, Algeria, Rwanda, Namibia, Lesotho and Ethiopia.
This did not shake a resolute and determined Damon though, rather making him more determined.
Making his debut on the international stage with only two national races under his belt, Damon more than proved himself worthy. He finished fifth in the U23 Men's category, with a time of 1:18:56 – only 21 seconds behind fourth place.
"I really did not expect to do so well, to be honest," a humble Damon said. "I struggled at first with the high altitude, but I put my head down and battled on. The track perfectly suited my style of riding, which went a long way to helping me put in a good performance."
Support from everyone
His opportunities have been made possible by many Knysna locals who assisted in various ways to make his dreams come true. Leisure Isle Boat Club, Simola Hillclimb and Colin Mathiesen and his group of donors have donated generously, together with Food Lover's Market (providing nourishing food every month) and Cyco Cycles who serviced his bicycle for free every month.
What made a massive difference for Damon though, was when local cyclist Ryan Habib donated a bike to him which Habib had won at the 2022 Karoo to Coast.
Marike Vreken from AbsoluteMotion was ecstatic and proud of his achievement at the Continental Championships. "What Damon has achieved is simply incredible, there aren't words to express how proud we are of him," she said. "He has put in countless hours of hard work, overcome several setbacks, and this result is his just reward. We can not wait to see what else lies in wait for him."
Damon is beyond grateful for all the help he has received. "Words cannot express how much I appreciate the support I have received from the people of Knysna.
"Their help has been incredible, and all I really can say is thank you, I truly appreciate everything that has been done."
Damon's stellar rise
Damon started cycling at Knysna Sport Academy as a junior rider under the mentorship of coach Paulus Sigonyela in 2017 at age 16. It was soon obvious that he harboured a lot of natural talent and was a dedicated cyclist.
As Damon rose through the ranks, he grasped all the opportunities that he could with both hands. He entered pretty much every race he physically could, and his talent shone through as he soon began bringing hom titles and podiums, quickly earning his regional level Eden colours.
Damon's path has however been one of fortune and favour, in amongst all his hard work, proving that fortune really does favour the brave. While he had already shown a knack for churning out great results, it was when Damon joined the AbsoluteMotion Garden Route team in 2020 that his career really kicked off. Under the guidance of the team and Marike Vreken in particular, Damon's abilities developed astronomically.
He was eventually called up to the Eden District Academy of Sport's High Performance Programme before earning his Western Cape provincial colours for Mountain Biking.
A phenomenal year
Damon has undergone even more sensational growth in the past year though. He participated in his first ever National Cup event in Stellenbosch in February this year where he had to race against his hero, and reigning world Champion, Nino Schurter from Switzerland.
Damon did not have the greatest race in Stellenbosch. He had a crash and some mechanical difficulties, but did not give up, and finished the race.
True to his brilliantly stubborn and resilient nature, this experience did not put Damon off, instead, the fire inside him was only stoked and burned hotter and brighter.
He continued racing on the Western Cape Provincial XCO Circuit, and courtesy of some brilliant race results he won the 2023 Western Cape Provincial Mountain Bike XCO Series for Elite Men.
A week before the Continental Champion-ships he was invited to attend a training camp hosted by the Confederation of African Cycling in Johannesburg, in order to prepare for his impending international debut. Following on from his fifth-placed finish, Damon has been selected to represent the Western Cape team at the final SA National MTB XCO Cup on 20 July at Cascades in Pietermaritzburg.
"Even though the Continental Championships still feel like yesterday, I'm already looking ahead to the national cup," Damon said.
"While I still need to find sponsors to get there, I am working and training hard, so that I am as best prepared as possible." If you would like to support Damon and get involved, you can contact him on 068 651 4950.
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