Bio Continued

Family

I married Debbie in 2000. She is a fantastic wife and mother. She is! Really! She has been so supportive of my career choices, extramural activities and interests.

Together we have two healthy and fantastic children, Rebecca (Becca) and Matthew, who I am exceptionally proud of.

Becca, the older, excels at music (piano and clarinet), school work and is an exceptional swimmer. Matthew also seems to be very athletic and for now must be the world’s most prolific Lego builders.

The kids share my love of exercise, adventure and the outdoors. Debbie too enjoys swimming, cycling and running and has completed several 70.3s and an Ironman.

Debbie and I met whilst I was at Venture Computer Company. She worked at what is now called Business Connexion who was a client of mine.

Today, she is a house wife, tutor and taxi to the kids. She threatens to go back to work regularly.

Pets

How does 2 dogs, 4 cats and 10 guinea pigs grab you? Thank heavens we don’t live on a farm!

Training and lifestyle interests

I have always been very active. From a young age I loved the outdoors and sport. Whilst at school I was a Discoverer Boy Scout, enjoyed sailing and excelled at track and field athletics, swimming, soccer and rugby.

I lost interest in rugby whilst doing my military service at Infantry School, Oudtshoorn. I think due to my size and talent I was fast tracked through to the senior Defense sides. Take my word for it - Defense rugby isn’t pretty. To the permanent force soldiers of the South Western Cape, rugby isn’t a game – but an opportunity to vent frustration and aggression. The minute I left the army I stopped playing rugby for a couple of years and started once again in 1993 when I joined Crusaders Port Elizabeth.

I don’t quite know why I stopped playing rugby, perhaps it was the constant injury niggles or the politics that infects Eastern Province rugby - I can’t recall. But when I stopped the kilos started piling on, and I landed up gaining 30kg.

I joined Algoa Bay Yacht Club, started sailing again and whilst crewing on several very competitive keel boats I had a lot of fun and met some very interesting folk.

In 2005, Debbie encouraged me to join Weighless with her to try and shed some of the weight that I had gained. I became obsessed with dieting and exercise and after 6 months had lost 30kg and soon thereafter was awarded Weighless Man Of The Year.

I continued training and as Online Innovations were involved with the Ironman in Port Elizabeth, decided to take up ultra distance triathlons. My obsessive compulsive and completive nature drove me to be the best I possibly could and in 2009 secured a slot to compete in the Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii.

The recession has forced me to apply myself more vigorously at work so I no longer have the time available to continue competing in at Ironman. I still try to fit in two training sessions a day and am hoping to sometime in the future finish Comrades, a Robben Island crossing and, if I find the time, do a sub 9h45 Ironman.

Acknowledgements

Through all of this I have met and befriended many interesting people. This network of colleagues, customers, friends and family are very dear to me and truly I appreciate their ongoing support and encouragement.