2022 GIG Adventure
From the 29th to the 31st of July 2022, the South African Sea Cadets, Training Ship Springs took part in a rowing race on the Vaal Dam with various groups of sea scouts from Gauteng. Four students from THE KEEP LEARNING CENTRE took part in the race. These students are Muhammed Aqeel Sheik, Muhammed Razeen Sheik, Gigi Barresi and Calmone Delport. All four students are members of the TS Springs Cadet. Muhammed Aqeel was on the senior crew which rowed 90km. Muhammed Razeen, Gigi and Calmone were on the junior crew which rowed 45km.
After attending school as usual on the Friday, TS Springs cadets took a taxi down to Lake Deneys Yacht Club on the Vaal dam, arriving at about 7:30 in the evening. After setting up camp and organizing their luggage, the crews left LDYC at about 10:00pm traveling for one and a half hours, to the starting points 45 km and 90 km up river.
With 6 crew members on board each rowing boat (gig), the crews shoved off at around midnight on Friday. It was pitch black on the river, the new moon and stars hidden behind rain clouds with an icy north wind disturbing the water. The crews had to navigate through the darkness with no external help, carrying all their equipment, food and clothing that they would need for the race. With no real safe place to stop, the crews would eat, sleep and go to the toilet on the boat. The GIG adventure can easily be said to be more brutal than the Comrades, but unlike the Comrades, there is no set path, no one cheering you on and no tables of water and energy drinks along the way!
The junior crew rowed through the night and morning and arrived back at LDYC at 12:30 on Saturday afternoon taking 3rd place with approximately 13 hours of rowing.
The senior crew rowed through the night, morning, afternoon and night on Saturday and arrived just before midnight on Saturday, also taking 3rd place despite starting 2 hours late, with approximately 22 hours on the water.
This adventure pushed everyone on board beyond their physical, mental and emotional limits, and tested their friendship, teamwork, endurance and competitiveness to the finest extent. This is an experience that very few will ever have, and far fewer will actually be able to finish.
