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Underberg - Ladies defending champ Abby Adie has her heart set on claiming a third consecutive victory at this weekend’s Global Trader Drak Challenge.
However, a spate of minor illnesses over the past few days could well impact her title aspirations.
The Team Best 4 Kayak Centre paddler bravely battled her way through debilitating stomach cramps during this past weekend’s Best 4 Healthcare Rietvlei Rumble in Johannesburg however the after effects of her courageous efforts could well come back to haunt the defending champ at this weekend’s Southern Drakensberg spectacle.
“This past weekend certainly wasn’t great and now I’ve been struggling with a bit of a cold for a day or two which isn't ideal,” said Adie. “At one stage I was even considering giving this weekend a miss so as not to impact on my Dusi preparations too much.”
“I’m at the lowest point in my Dusi training at the moment and I’m not quite one hundred percent but I’ve taken a couple of days off so hopefully I’ll be fine this weekend and I’ll be out there giving it my all,” she added.
After being some way off the pace in Johannesburg and now with her having to manage her health carefully Adie will do well to put her recent distractions out of her mind and focus on trying to become the first woman ever to win a hat-trick of Drak titles.
“I don’t think this past weekend will be too much of a setback for me but it does play on the mind a bit so hopefully I can get out there this weekend, pick things up a bit and get the confidence back up,” said Adie.
“I would absolutely love to make it three wins in a row and I think it will also be quite a special year this year with the extra financial incentive that is up for grabs but it certainly will be a very tough race,” she added.
With the technical nature of the route and little rain predicted for the few days leading up to the race many are preparing for a low water level however it takes a brave soul to predict just what will happen in the mighty uMzimkhulu River.
“I don’t enjoy a low river too much so I would definitely prefer it if there was a bit of water in the river this weekend,” said Adie. “Last year’s race and this year’s Fast Drak levels were great so I’m definitely hoping it will rain in the few days before the race and that it fills up a bit.”
“I used to shy away from bigger water a little but since winning Fish last year with Hilary (Pitchford) and Umko my confidence when its gets big has certainly improved a lot and I’d definitely prefer it to be fuller rather than lower this weekend,” she added.
Adie will enjoy a strong tussle at the front of the women’s race as she looks to claim the recently introduced Margie Oliver trophy for the second consecutive year as well as a hat-trick of ladies’ titles.
The Global Trader Drak Challenge takes place in Underberg on 21 and 22 January 2012. More info can be found at www.drak.co.za
However, a spate of minor illnesses over the past few days could well impact her title aspirations.
The Team Best 4 Kayak Centre paddler bravely battled her way through debilitating stomach cramps during this past weekend’s Best 4 Healthcare Rietvlei Rumble in Johannesburg however the after effects of her courageous efforts could well come back to haunt the defending champ at this weekend’s Southern Drakensberg spectacle.
“This past weekend certainly wasn’t great and now I’ve been struggling with a bit of a cold for a day or two which isn't ideal,” said Adie. “At one stage I was even considering giving this weekend a miss so as not to impact on my Dusi preparations too much.”
“I’m at the lowest point in my Dusi training at the moment and I’m not quite one hundred percent but I’ve taken a couple of days off so hopefully I’ll be fine this weekend and I’ll be out there giving it my all,” she added.
After being some way off the pace in Johannesburg and now with her having to manage her health carefully Adie will do well to put her recent distractions out of her mind and focus on trying to become the first woman ever to win a hat-trick of Drak titles.
“I don’t think this past weekend will be too much of a setback for me but it does play on the mind a bit so hopefully I can get out there this weekend, pick things up a bit and get the confidence back up,” said Adie.
“I would absolutely love to make it three wins in a row and I think it will also be quite a special year this year with the extra financial incentive that is up for grabs but it certainly will be a very tough race,” she added.
With the technical nature of the route and little rain predicted for the few days leading up to the race many are preparing for a low water level however it takes a brave soul to predict just what will happen in the mighty uMzimkhulu River.
“I don’t enjoy a low river too much so I would definitely prefer it if there was a bit of water in the river this weekend,” said Adie. “Last year’s race and this year’s Fast Drak levels were great so I’m definitely hoping it will rain in the few days before the race and that it fills up a bit.”
“I used to shy away from bigger water a little but since winning Fish last year with Hilary (Pitchford) and Umko my confidence when its gets big has certainly improved a lot and I’d definitely prefer it to be fuller rather than lower this weekend,” she added.
Adie will enjoy a strong tussle at the front of the women’s race as she looks to claim the recently introduced Margie Oliver trophy for the second consecutive year as well as a hat-trick of ladies’ titles.
The Global Trader Drak Challenge takes place in Underberg on 21 and 22 January 2012. More info can be found at www.drak.co.za
