Plett stop, start for Enduro Challenge

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - It was a stop-start affair at the beginning of this year's Saldanha Military Academy Exercise Trans Enduro with a launch of two rubber dinghies at Central Beach in Plettenberg Bay on Monday 28 November.

The dinghies are part of the academy's annual exercise - an expedition on land and sea from Gqeberha to Saldanha - to create awareness and raise funds for the academy's Masiza community outreach programme.

Nine teams, including land, running, log, signal, media, cycling and sea teams, travel from Gqeberha to Saldanha over 10 days, staying over in towns along the way.

It took the two rubber dinghies almost 10 minutes to beat the breakers at Central Beach on Monday morning, but they finally got into open water to start their trek to Stilbaai - and ultimately Saldanha.

Bitou Mayor Dave Swart set off the starter's gun to signal the start for the cyclists, but the gun misfired. The cyclists started anyway. The second start by Swart, to set the runners on their way, went off with a bang.

Bitou Mayor Dave Swart's starter gun fails to go off.

What is the Trans Enduro?

While the cycling team covers 100km on bicycles, the sea team travels along the coast with two rubber dinghies and the land team drives with vehicles from town to town collecting money, while the log team prepares for the other teams' arrival. There is also a running team that covers 10km each day. At certain points the teams change.

"The entire exercise is planned and executed by the academy students. This develops their leadership skills and enhances their understanding of the practical issues related to community service. In return, communities get exposed to the high calibre of the young men and women serving in defence of the country," says Lieutenant Colonel Morné Booÿjens, chief military instructor at the academy, who serves as mentor to participants.

Also, it is tradition that the mayor of each town writes a short letter of goodwill to the mayor of the next town. The letter is handed to the exercise commander who delivers it to the mayor of the next town. Each morning will see a short opening ceremony as organised in conjunction with the various mayoral committees of municipalities along the way.

The exercise started on 25 November in Gqeberha and will make seven stops along the way, including Plettenberg Bay, George, Struisbaai, Hermanus and Cape Town. The exercise ends on 3 December at Saldanha.

Bitou Mayor Dave Swart and Captain Ashwell Lourens check the starter gun.