UKhwela uthembisa ukuthi bazokwenza kangcono koweDusi
USbonelo “Tuff Guy” Khwela uthi isifiso sakhe kulo nyaka ukuqeda kwabathathu kwabaphambili emqhudelwaneni waminyaka yonke iMyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon.
UKhwela ogwedla ngaphansi koMzinyathi Canoeing Club ungomunye waboHlanga abenza kahle kulo mdlalo njengoba eseke wawunqoba.
Kulo nyaka le nsizwa eneminyaka yobudala engama-34 izogwedla noNqobile Makhanya, nathe uma exoxa nelaboHlanga wathi umthemba kakhulu.
“Isifiso sami ukuthi mina nozakwethu siqede kusuka endaweni yokuqala kuya kweyesithathu. Amalungiselelo ahamba kahle kakhulu, kuncane ekade sesikwenza ekuqaleni kwesonto okuningi sikwenze emasontweni adlule. Angingabazi ukuthi lesi sifiso esinaso sizofezeka. UMakhanya wenza kahle kakhulu ngithemba ukuthi ukubambisana kwethu kuzosenza siqede endaweni enhle kakhulu” usho kanje.
Umqhudelwano walo nyaka uzokuba neK2, koweK2 lapho kusuke kugwedlwa ngababili. UMfo kaKhwela odabuka eShongweni ngonyaka wezi-2014 wazifaka emabhukwini omlando walo mdlalo ngesikhathi eba ngumpetha ku-K2 nalapho ayegwedla khona no-Andy Birkett.
IMyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon yakulo nyaka izoqala kusukela mhla zili-17 kuya mhla zili-19 kwephezulu.
“Namanje uma ngicabanga unyaka wezi-2014 nginqoba iDusi Marathon, ngifikelwa okukhulu ukuziqhenya kwazise ngenza into eyayisihlule aboHlanga abaningi. Nakulo nyaka lokhu ngingakuphinda, kungaba into enhle kakhulu ngoba ngizobe sengikuphinda nomunye woHlanga” usho kanje.
Lo mqhudelwano oyibanga lama-120km usuka eMgungundlovu uphelele Emfuleni uMngeni, eThekwini.
Uthe kumujabulise kakhulu ukuthi lo mqhudelwano uzosingathwa imifula igcwele phama.
“Ngiyazi ukuthi imvula yonele abantu abaningi kodwa ngingasho ngithi isisize kakhulu thina esigwedlayo. Kuba nzima ukugwedla imvula ishoda ngamanzi ngoba izikebhe zithola ukulimala, zilinyazwa amatshe kodwa makukhona amanzi egcwele izinto zibalula kakhulu. Ingakho ngithi lo mqhudelwano wakulo nyaka uthembisa kakhulu ukuthi imiphumela izoba muhle” usho kanje uKhwela,
Ubalule ukuthi iNanda Dam ilona damu ebeliphazamiseka kakhulu eminyakeni edlule njengoba amanzi ebengekho maningi, izikebhe zilimala.
UKhwela uqale ukugwedla koweDusi Canoe Marathon ngonyaka wezi-2006 nalapho aphuma khona endaweni yama-303 koweK2. Yize kunjalo kodwa eminyakeni elandela leyo ube esenza kahle kakhulu, ephuma endaweni yesithathu noma eyesibili.
Okuwubufakazi bokuthi wenza kahle unabaxhasi okukhona iRed Bull, i-Euro Steel neCarbonology Steel. Ungomunye wabantu abanyelwe inyoni esandleni ukuthi akwazi ukuziqeqesha nesikhungo sokuziqeqesha esiphezulu, i-Elite Athlete Development (EAD) esenkundleni enkulu eThekwini iMoses Mabhida Stadium.
Lo mgwedli uthe lumuphazamise kakhulu ukhuvethe. “Ukufika kokhuvethe kuyiphazamise kakhulu impilo yami. Ngacishe ngalahlekelwa abaxhasi kwazise ayikho imiqhudelwano engangiyingenela ngoba kwakume yonke into, wayengeke aholele amahhala” usho kanje.
Ukufika kokhuvethe kwamuvula amehlo ukuthi acabanga ukuthi yini angaziphilisa ngayo njengoba kuntula abaxhasi nje. Ube esethenga iloli adayisa ngalo amabhulokisi athuthele nabantu izimpahla.
Kuliqiniso ukuthi aboHlanga babhekene nomqansa wokuqeda ishobolo lokungawunqobi lo mqhudelwano kwabesilisa nabesifazane.
Abagwedli boHlanga ababhekiwe ukuthi baqede leli shobolo, uMsawenkosi Mtolo, uThabani Msia, uThulani Mbanjwa, uSiseko Ntondini, uSandile Mbanjwa, uBongani Ntinga, uKhwela noMakhanya.