Go 29 March 2018

Page 14 GO & EXPRESS
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March 29, 2018
EL star heads for Transplant Games
13th annual nationals
hosted by East Cape
SIVENATHI GOSA
EAST London resident and
chairwoman of the Transplant
Games in the Eastern Cape
Robin Emslie will take part in the
13th annual National Transplant
Games (NTG) from July 12 to 15
in Port Elizabeth.
The national games are set to
demonstrate the improved
quality of life following a
transplant and to promote
awareness of organ donation,
according to local organising
committee secretary Heilie Uys.
“This is also an opportunity for
athletes who have received
transplants, to show their
gratitude towards living donors
and the families of deceased
donors. This is a celebration of
new life, where athletes who
have received organ and bone
marrow transplants will compete
in 13 different sports events,”
said Uys.
On July 13 all the non-athletic
events will take place, while all
the track and field events will
take place on July 14.
The sports event has received
the blessing and support of the
Nelson Mandela Bay
Municipality, the Eastern Cape
Sports Confederation and the
provincial department of spor t,
recreation, arts and culture
(DSRAC).
Emslie, 45, will be flying high
the flag of East London and will
be participating in lawn bowling,
pétanque, darts and tenpin
bowling.
“The national games that will
take place in PE are trials for the
world games next year overseas.
I have taken part in five
GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE: Organ recipients who are part of the team going to take part in the National
Transplant Games, which will be held in Port Elizabeth in July
Picture: SUPPLIED
international transplant games
and six nationals so far,” said
Emslie.
Emslie said she found out
about the National Transplant
Gam s from Uys.
“I got my kidney transplant 10
years ago. I was approached
afterwards by the Renal Care
Unit in East London to work for
them educating people who are
suffering from kidney disease.
That is where I met Uys, who
introduced me to the games.”
Emslie was diagnosed with
streptococcus at 13 years old,
which damaged one of her
kidneys. In 2007, she
experienced renal failure and
had to start with dialysis.
Emslie said each province did
fundraising for travelling
expenses, assisting those who
had financial struggles. They are
hoping that they will get some
assistance from the National
Lotteries Commission.
“We focus on a healthy
lifestyle, and making people
aware of the importance of
organ donation. We are focusing
on influencing the youth to think
donating – just to save lives.
One body can save seven
people,” she said.
During the games, they have a
walk in the evening to honour
the people who donated their
organs to save the lives of
ot h e r s .
Nelson Mandela University’s
Faculty of Health Sciences and
DSRAC are partnering with
Transplant Sports by making
available sports facilities and the
knowledge and expertise of staff
and students.
WE DID IT! Mercedes-Benz South Africa Running Club
came in numbers to take part in the East London run
Picture: SUPPLIED
April strolls to victory in
Mercedes-Benz fun run
SIPHOKAZI VUSO
HUNDREDS of runners took part
in the annual Mercedes-Benz
South Africa 15km and 5km
Home run on Saturday.
MBSA spokesman Asanda
Fongqo said the fun run
provided a platform for runners
to showcase their talent and for
the region to show off the great
athletes resident in the area.
“We use sport as one of the
vehicles for transformation and
the Mercedes-Benz 15km Home
We welcome
Run is one of our sporting
initiatives. The objective of the
run is to promote competitive
running within the Border region
and surrounding communities. It
also serves as a tool that gauges
the fitness level of runners in
their preparation for the Two
Oceans marathon.”
He said that there were about
800 participants with 100
participating in the 5km fun run.
Fongqo said the idea of the
race was introduced in 2009.
“From there we started to
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promote the idea internally until
the numbers within our running
club grew and it came to
fruition. The debut came last
year where we attracted about
700 runners with Olympian
Lusapho April setting the record
at 45 minutes.
“The race has been entered
into the Border Athletics
calendar as an annual event.”
Winner Lusapho April
completed the race in 46
minutes.
Clarendon pupil wins SA surf-ski title
MADELEINE CHAPUT
CLARENDON High School pupil,
Zara Wood, 15, has claimed the
South African Schools surf-ski
U18 title.
Wood finished three seconds
ahead of her closest adversary
at the championships in
Durban. The Grade 10 pupil was
the last to leave the beach,
falling off of her board three
times before managing to get
out into the waves.
“The most rewarding thing
was winning after such a shaky
start. I was able to come back
and take the U18 title. I am
really excited to see what
happens later on this year at
the South African Surf-Ski
Championships,” Wood said.
Zara represented South
Africa in Hong Kong at the
Surf-ski World Championships
last year and managed to walk
away with a bronze medal in
The yearning for a life of adventure
ONE of the abiding and
almost undeniable urges in
humankind is a yearning
for adventure.
This has manifested
itself through the ages in
so many and varied ways,
and is arguably the driving
force behind most
discoveries, inventions,
amazing feats and
aw e - i n s p i r i n g
achievements. A healthy
dose of bravery – and the
readiness to take risks –
have most often been the
“bosom buddies” of the
adventurous spirit.
About 100- years ago, English
poet and writer, James Elroy
Flecker, was moved to write a
poem focused on the ancient
Silk Road to the East to portray
man's pursuit of adventure. At
that stage in exploration history
“the East” represented a
powerful magnetic attraction
for inquisitive world-traveLlers.
We travel not for trafficking
alone
By hotter winds our fiery
hearts are fanned:
For lust of knowing what
should not be known
We make the golden journey
to Samarkand.
In those times and earlier,
travel was often arduous and
exploration globally a mission
fraught with dangers and
the U18 age group.
Before turning 15, Wood also
achieved second place at the
SA Surf-Ski Champs in the U18
division in 2016, seven podium
positions in the U16 division
and third overall on the victrix
lodorum for the Sprint
Championship at the SA
Schools Canoe Sprint
difficulties. This did not hinder
those adventurers and
explorers who extended the
frontiers to all parts of our
planet surface.
Of course adventure does not
apply only to travel, and there
are many levels relevant to all
ages and the full range of
circumstances involving man.
For the young child, those
first few steps represent a
major adventure and feat. The
prisoner of war who escaped
from his captors triumphed
over great risk. Skydivers,
racing drivers, downhill snow
skiers and film industry
stuntmen all qualify to be
called adventurers. Those who
have reached retirement age
and take on new challenges,
and the physically disabled
GREAT PERFORMANCE:
Zara Wood, 15,
annihilated most of her
competition at the 2018
SA Schools
Championships,
claiming the U18 title
Picture: SUPPLIED
Championship in 2017.
“My proudest moment was
definitely representing South
Africa at the World Champs last
year. One day I hope to walk
away with a world title in Surf-
Ski,” said the ambitious teen
who has her heart set on
winning three consecutive U18
SA Schools Championships.
person who strives to
overcome those
constraints, fit the bill.
Learning to speak a new
language stirs the
adventurous soul.
In the East London and
Border area, the scope
for adventure is limitless:
The magnificent Wild
Coast is an adventurer’s
Eden, the rivers of this
coastline feed the soul
and the mountains and
forests of Stutterheim
and the Hogsback
enthuse and challenge.
The list goes on.
For some, conventional
wisdom suggests that the vast,
exponential rate strides made
by man in the fields of science,
technology and exploration
leave few frontiers for future
generations of adventurers.
Clearly the oceans and space
represent what are considered
by many to be the “l a st
frontiers”.
A sobering thought: handheld
mobiles (cell phones) were first
produced in 1973. Conventional
ground-based travel (motor
cars) is likely to take to the air
and space travel become an
option for many.
Look how far we have come
and think about the adventures
that lie ahead.