This past Saturday, 23 March, Union High School, Graaff-Reinet learner Ben Lemke participated in the NMB Bellbuoy Challenge in Gqeberha.
𝗔𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟱, 𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀.
The NMB Bellbuoy Challenge, a 5km Indian Ocean swim event, is renowned as one of the toughest ocean swims in the world. Held in the waters of Algoa Bay off Pollock Beach, this thrilling competition tests the endurance, skill and mental fortitude of its participants.
The swim to the buoy, covering a distance of 2.5km, can be relatively easy on a good day. However, the currents around the buoy can significantly impact the swim back, often doubling the time it takes to return. Moreover, the deep-sea environment adds to the challenge, as swimmers must confront the unknown beneath them, including the presence of thirty-two species of sharks.
𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟯𝟴 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟭𝟴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵.
Ben’s performance was truly exceptional, as he secured an impressive 13th place overall, completing the challenge in an incredible time of 1 hour, 23 minutes and 38 seconds.
Ben was supported by his father, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁, who also participated in the race and achieved a commendable 50th place overall, finishing in a time of 1 hour, 42 minutes, and 55 seconds.
Additionally, 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, a fellow Graaff-Reinetter, showcased her determination by completing the challenge in a time of 2 hours, 38 minutes and 8 seconds.
𝘉𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘔𝘉 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘰𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.