With the spray having settled on the 2019 aQuellé Midmar Mile, “The Cows” are paying tribute to some of their heroes that were among the thousands of Milers that took part in the world’s biggest open water swim on February 9 and 10.
Together they managed to raise over R500 000 for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation of SA, with late donations still being deposited into their account.
While every finisher in the black-and-white cowprint swimming costumes is being hailed for their contribution to CHOC and the event, there were several stand-out swimmers representing The Cows in what has affectionately been called the Midmoo Mile by some CHOC swimmers.
Jade Redman swam in the colours of The Cows as she won the Pope-Ellis Ironman award for the best combined time at the Comrades, FNB Dusi and the aQuellé Midmar Mile. Photo: Jetline Action Photo
With hundreds of schoolboys and girls getting involved, Hendrick van der Merwe, who coaches swimming at the Hatfield Christian Academy in Pretoria, was one of the hero Cows.
Van der Merwe was born with Spina Bifida and is a world-class paralympian who will soon be competing in the World Championships for a sixth time. Van Der Merwe had plans to swim the Mile eight times, but was too late to secure one of the elusive places in the Eight Miler.
“That is definitely still on my bucket list!” he said.
He led a group of more than thirty swimmers from his school to take part in the Midmar Mile and they threw their collective weight behind the CHOC fundraiser for The Cows.
“I was so proud of how the pupils took ownership of representing The Cows. They feel very strongly about it and some of them still choose to wear the Cow costumes to training,” he said.
He said that he hoped his example would inspire the pupils he coaches to achieve their goals as swimmers.
“It’s about taking extreme ownership,” says the 28 year old coach, popularly known as “Legs”. “If you do that you can achieve anything.”
Jade Redman won the Pope-Ellis Ironman trophy for the best combined time for the FNB Dusi, Comrades Marathon and aQuellé Midmar Mile and also swam eight Miles on the weekend.
“It was my first Midmar Mile back after a long break!” she enthused.
“I was asked to help coach a fellow Cow Ntuli Melusi to do the Midmar Mile, and that rekindled my interest in it.
“Sadly he moved away due to work commitments but I kept up the training. It was a lot of fun for a very good cause,” said the 29 year old Kloof resident.
The oldest participant in the event was 86 year old Mike “Buthy” Arbuthnot, who has swum the Mile every year since he was part of the group that founded the event in 1974. The Mile icon was happy to throw his weight behind the CHOC fundraiser and swim in the colours of The Cows.
More information about The Cows can be found at www.thecows.co.za
aQuellé Midmar Mile icon Mike “Buthy” Arbuthnot swam the Mile for the 46th time, and was happy to represent The Cows as a fundraiser for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation of SA. Photo