UMGWEDLI odlondlobalayo emjahweni, iDusi Canoe Marathon, uMsawenkosi Mtolo, usephumele obala ngesifiso sakhe sokuqeda ukucanasa kuka-Andy Birkett osekhonye iminyaka kulo mjaho.
UMtolo (27) waKwaNyavu, eMkhambathini, ubalwa nabagwedli ababhekiwe kwiDusi yanonyaka ezosukela eBishopstowe Hall, eMgungundlovu, iphelele eBlue Lagoon, eThekwini ngoFebhuwari 20-22.
IDusi yanonyaka ingeyohlobo lwe-K1, lapho umgwedli egwedla ngayedwana. Nyakenye bekuyi-K2 kugwedlwa ngababili ngokubambisana. Umhlanganiso udliwe nguBirkett egwedla noMatthew Fenn ngesikhathi esingu-7:19:26, isibili kwaba nguMtolo obegwedla noSbonelo Khwela ngesikhathi esingu-07:25:44.
UMtolo, okhombisa izimpawu zokuba ngumgwedli ongagcina ewudlile umhlanganiso kulo mjaho, walala isibili ngo-2023 kwi-K1, elandela yena uBirkett. Ngo-2022 wayelale isibili kwi-K2 egwedla nensephe, uThulani Mbanjwa.
“Amalungiselelo ami ahamba kahle, azikabibikho izihibe. Ngingasho ngokungangabazi ukuthi kuyofika usuku lomjaho sengimi ngomumo, ngikulungele ukuncintisana nezimbangi zami. Inhloso yami enkulu ukwenza kahle kakhulu kowakulo nyaka,” kusho uMtolo.
Ebuzwa ngoBirkett osebabhincisele nxanye isikhathi eside kulo mjaho, uMtolo uvumile ukuthi kuhlale kungelula ukuqhudelana nale nkalimeva yomgwedli, wathi kodwa liyoze lifike eliyisilima.
“Ngeke ngiqambe amanga, inzima leya ndoda kodwa kancane, kancane nathi bagwedli abamnyama siyadlondlobala kulo mjaho uma kuqhathaniswa neminyaka edlule. Yingakho nje isifiso sami esikhulu kuwukuthi egcine ekhona umgwedli wakithi omnyama owuwinayo lo mjaho kwi-K1. Ngikholwa wukuthi kuyogcina kwenzekile uma ubheka abagwedli bakithi abenza kahle abanjengoSbonelo Khwela, Thabani Masia noMbanjwa oseke wawunqoba lo mjaho kwi-K2.
Sesiyalibamba manje iqhinga likaBirkett lokuba mandla ngosuku lwesibili. Ngakho asikho isidingo sokuzikhandla kakhulu ngosuku lokuqala ngoba ngosuku lwesibili yilapho uqala khona ngempela umshikashikashika, naye uBirkett esekhipha amangwevu.”
UMbanjwa waba ngumgwedli wokuqala omnyama owanqoba iDusi ngo-2008 kwi-K2 egwedla noMartin Dreyer, kwathi ngo-2014 kwaba nguSbonelo Zondi kuyo i-K2 egwedla noBirkett.