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Edhe shiu ka te mirat e veta! :D
Posted by Eco Bicycle on Miércoles, 9 de marzo de 2016
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Lobo Ibérico VIVOVIDEO Lobo Ibérico VIVO Difunde...comparte ;)
Posted by Cronica Norte on Miércoles, 9 de marzo de 2016
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Murray, left, and Potgieter, right, finish their races. (Photo: FinisherPix)
March 9th 2016
In South Africa, Athletes Shine in Selfless Acts
The tale of two athletes and a volunteer who, earlier this year, turned their own race day into an act of service.
by Courtney Johnson
Cycling past Buccaneers at Eastern Beach on the IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa
http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/events/emea/ironman-70.3/south-africa.aspx
run course, race referee Ross Murray could hear cries for help from the water. Seeing that no lifeguards were present on the beach, the fourth-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Cape Town sprung into action.
Dedicating time to referee on Christmas holiday, Murray had been assigned to the bike course that day. But loving the responsibility the role carries, he decided to ride along the run course after the cycle leg was finished in case any help was needed.
Lucky for two local teenagers who had been caught in a rip tide, Murray didn’t hesitate to abandon his bike on the beach and jump in to help. As Murray was scaling over a retaining wall, an athlete by the name of M.J. Potgieter came upon the scene: "I was busy with my second lap on the run leg of the race when I noticed a referee jumping over the wall with his bicycle on his shoulder," he says. It was only when Murray started taking his shirt and shoes off that Potgieter noticed that two people were waving their arms and shouting for help out in the water.
Having grown up surfing, surf skiing and kite surfing, Potgieter feels comfortable in the sea, though he's never been involved in a rescue. "When I started looking around me, I realized that there was no one else around to assist. I had to get in," he says.
Conveniently, Murray works as a volunteer lifeguard. Though he has never saved anyone, everything he has learned about keeping calm during a rescue came into play. "It was only when I got to them that I realized it would be impossible for me to swim them both in to shore. At this point, I knew all I could do was tread water and keep their heads up," he recalls. Murray said it was nerve racking having two people relying on him to keep them at the surface, while at the same time they both tried to climb on him in a blind panic: "I had to keep pushing them off me and telling them to calm down. It was a huge relief to see someone else swimming out to help."
"There are just some things that are more important than a PB or a T-shirt."
In moments of crisis and danger, fear of the unknown is enough to keep many from taking action. But for Potgieter, despite being five hours into an IRONMAN race and concerned about things like cramping, saw it as an opportunity. "I hope that someone else would return the favor if I found myself in a similar situation, let alone one of my loved ones," said the coal distributor and father of two children.
As if breeding a spirit of altruism, the run course delivered yet another athlete-rescuer to the two teens struggling in the water. Despite the fatigue of the race really kicking in the last miles of the run, athlete Dylan Hartwig didn’t hesitate to jump in the water behind Potgieter. " Either instinct kicked in or logic that told me Ross wouldn't be able to pull them out the water by himself," he said.
Murray and Potgieter took hold of the man panicking the most. Now separated and heading further out to sea, Hartwig took the calmer man.
Just minutes before, Hartwig had been feeling happy to be almost at the end of his race; now he was part of a rescue. "I wasn’t really scared because I knew that I could get out there and back using just my arms," he said. "Having grown up in Durban and loving the water, there were often people I encountered who found themselves in trouble and need a hand, even if it is just to help calm them down."
When Murray had control of the first man, Potgieter went to help Hartwig whose leg muscles were cramping. When they reached the shore, about 20 or so people had gathered on the beach. It was a short interaction between the two men and their rescuers once on land. A quick 'thank you' from the two men, and Potgieter and Hartwig were back on course. Murray jumped back on his bike and continued to make sure everything was going smoothly on the rest of the run course.
Although they have no contact with the men they saved that day, they will always have the gratification of knowing they saved two lives. "I am young, physically fit and a strong swimmer," said Murray. "I couldn't stand on the beach and watch someone get into trouble and not assist, knowing I am capable of helping out."
For the two athletes-turned-heroes, the finisher medals came with an extra dose of satisfaction. They were able to dig a bit deeper to find extra energy to help when needed—something they'll carry with them during the next tough workout or rough patch during a race.
"There are just some things that are more important than a PB or a T-shirt," Hartwig said.
Originally from: http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2016/03/selfless-in-south-africa.aspx#ixzz42SQs8fCl
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