South Africans may be more accustomed to seeing former Bafana Bafana great Mark Fish on the football field, but this weekend he will be participating in the 50th anniversary of the Midmar Mile on the water.
The winner of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations is a regular at the KwaZulu-Natal dam and will compete in the mile for the sixth time while raising money for charity.
Fish, who has recently returned from the African Nations Championship in Algeria, where he served as a member of the CAF Technical Study Group, stated, “The Midmar is an event near and dear to my heart because I have competed in five, going on six, and they have all been unique experiences.”
“The tournament is superbly organized, and the contestants are all nice and self-motivated for a variety of reasons.
“I have swum a few times by myself, others with friends, and the most recent with my daughter, and I am slowly persuading my family and friends to join me in this event.
“The environment, the atmosphere, the swimmers, and most of all the organization make this event what it is, so congratulations to everyone involved,” said the appropriately called Fish.
Two Olympic gold medalists from South Africa will not be at the dam this weekend, but they have praised the event and wished the swimmers success.
Ryk Neethling, the 2004 Olympic 4x100m freestyle relay champion for South Africa, won the men’s elite competition at Midmar in 1994, 1995, and 2001.
“Obviously, the fact that it is the largest open water swimming competition makes it unique, as does its history. As you approach the event on a Sunday morning, you see the traffic and then the butterflies begin, so being there is always a unique experience,” said Neethling.
“It’s a terrific weekend and clearly a healthy event. You meet a lot of old friends and teammates, and you also make new acquaintances. It’s only positive,” said the 45-year-old, who still exercises three to four times per week but now spends the majority of his time playing polo at Val de Vie Estate, where he is the director of marketing.
Olympic winner in 2012 Chad le Clos also wished swimmers well for the next weekend.
Le Clos has never won the elite race in the Midmar Mile as a butterfly swimmer, but he began competing in the event as a child. His foundation is also one of the official beneficiaries of the event.
“It is hard to believe that the Midmar Mile is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. Congratulations to [race director] Wayne Riddin for everything he has accomplished. It’s incredible to consider how far we’ve come in the past few years. I am honored that the Chad le Clos Foundation is participating in this. This is a tremendous honor for me and everyone involved.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this year… Other obligations in Europe include racing the Euro circuit with my coach in Frankfurt. However, I would like to thank Wayne for everything he has done for me and the charity, as well as Julian Taylor and the Chad le Clos Foundation crew. We will be sending reps, but I hope to compete in this incredible event again when my schedule permits.
“It’s a tremendous accomplishment and the largest open water swimming competition in the world, so it’s an amazing honor for me to be a part of this. Congratulations to everyone involved. The four-time Olympic medalist added, “We will be watching online and keeping a close eye.”
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