Posts Tagged ‘gert stoltz’
Gert Stoltz 1992 World Duathlon Champs
Gert Stoltz, or Tarzan, as my friends called him, at Duathlon Worlds 1992.
Gear: Oakley Factory Pilot glasses/goggles. Oakley’s first shades. They were a bit “old fashioned” by 1992, but probably the most prized Oakley item one could own today. Size 61 Zini bike bought from Bruce Reyneke Cycles with Reynolds 501 steel tubing, Shimano 105 group set with down tube shifters and Biopace non round chainrings. Patrick shoes, (the cheapest) LOOK clipless pedals (a novelty) and a frame pump which today is the size of a rocket ship.
Since I can remember, my dad and I did sport together. When I was a toddler, “Rofstoei!” (wrestling) was my favourite, in part because my dad was the strongest in the whole wide world (thats a fact)- with only one hand, he could pin me down so tightly I couldnt blink an eye.
Soon I graduated to other sports which we did together – bikes, motorbikes, running, archery, canoeing (paddling) yup and even swimming. He hated swimming, (legs made from steel dont float) but tolerated it in order to compete in Biathlons and Triathlons.
We had many fantastic sporting memories together,
in memory of my dad
My dad and my hero passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Liezel and I are flying home on Sunday for his funeral.
Words fail me.
Here are some fond memories…
Braai lessons on a hiking trip- a skill every South African boy must have. (BBQ)
Our bike trip after he beat cancer for the 1st time.
“He had to bribe Liezel to marry me” was their joke. We’re so happy he was there for the moment, even though he was really sick
My parents lived an amazing life
Tarzan is here and he is new again
My friends call my dad “Tarzan.” Not sure why. 🙂
As you may know that he has been fighting colon cancer of the 2nd time over this past year. His plight had been an inspiration for me to win XTERRA Worlds in October– something which I knew would make him very proud. (“Stoltz” means “proud” in German.) Certain times had been extremely tough, especially Christmas and New Year. The chemo was hectic, he had a lot of pain and he sold all his cattle to focus his remaining strength on surviving. It didnt look good.
But in the last 4 or 5 weeks he suddenly improved and to such an extent, that he has jumped on his motorbike and rode the 2000km across the country to come and visit Liezel and I before I leave for the US on Monday. I’m not sure if it was Liezel’s visit to the farm a few weeks ago which perked him up, (I’m sure she played a large part) but he suddenly had a new bounce in his step, he played the piano after dinner, started planning fish farming and even rode his Stumpy 29er a few times.
We are so thankful he’ll be celebrating our engagement party tonight. My mom is in London for ITU stuff this week, but she’ll catch up at the wedding on Nov 11.
Liesbeth, Conrad & Gert Stoltz on the farm. March 13 2011
Tarzan and his daughter in law to be
XTERRA World Champs 2010- Race report
I have never felt so emotional at a finish line before.
To understand the significance of this win, you have to walk the last 10 XTERRA Worlds years in my shoes:
My 1st win in 2001 was really a life changing experience– Not only did I discover and win this amazing XTERRA thing on a beautiful Hawaiian island, but I became a real, professional triathlete. Ned Overend liked what he saw during the season and gave me a brand new Specialized dual suspension bike the week before Worlds- FOR FREE ek se^! No more borrowing bikes! Overnight, I actually made money from the sport. Good money. (in my eyes anyway) It was my 10th season as a pro, but I still lived pretty much hand to mouth up until then. (Lived with my parents while in South Africa, drove my dads old Cressida etc) But the day after the race I signed with an agent (Scott Fairchild) and within weeks the space on my kit was sold out. (In fact, they asked me to wear jammers instead of speedos, “because we’ll have more space to sell.” I think they were just relieved to get me out of Speedos…
Voordat ek begin wil ek net eers die ding van n motorfiets en n bike uitklaar. Daar is ouens wat definisies het van wanneer jy n biker is en wanneer nie. Vir die doel van hierdie storie gee ek nie om om nie as n biker te kwalifiseer nie. Maar ek wil graag na die ryding as n bike verwys bloot omdat die woord 4 letters het en motorfiets 10. En onder die broers en susters wat hierdie vreemde beheptheid het, staan die voertuig bekend as n bike.
“Bikebedonnerd” is n goeie beskrywing vir ouens wat hierdie ding het oor bikes. Ander voel waarskynlik net so sterk oor hulle besondere belangstelling, maar om iemand “seëlsbedonnerd” of “rolbalbedonnerd” te noem klink net nie reg nie – die konnotasie met oer-instinkte is net nie daar nie. Dit gesê, glo ek dit is noodsaaklik dat, ter wille van jou geestesgesondheid, elkeen een of ander begeesterde beheptheid moet he, al is dit ook net tydelik. Dit red jou van n staat van totale apatie en verveling – tipiese kwale van die huidige tydvak. Dit is sekerlik n interessante studieveld vir sielkundiges wat soek na antwoorde vir hulle pasiente wat vrae vra na die sinvolheid van die lewe.??Waar die besondere belangstelling in n bepaalde ding vandaan kom, is n ope vraag. Dalk is dit geneties. Of geïnspireerd deur voorbeeld. Wat bepaald nie in my geval geld nie. Ek was bikebedonnerd van n baie vroeë ouderdom ten spyte van die streng behoudende atmosfeer en hoe kulturele waardes wat die geldende norms in ons huis was. Ek het groot geword in die tyd van die Ducktails, en motorfietse was n absolute taboe, volksvreemd en waarskynlik sedebederwend. Tog was daar n oom van my wat n ingeduikte oogkas gehad het, wat, soos dit gefluister was, die gevolg van n motorfietsongeluk was. En soos swaksinnigheid in sekere families, slaan die bikeding nog vandag in ons familie uit: my seun en drie neefs het die streep weg, en n susterskind (n dogter nogal) het nou die dag aangekondig dat sy n bike gaan koop – tot algemene konsternasie en ontsteltenis van die familie. Soos n virus dryf die ding in jou bloed en wag vir n geskikte oomblik om toe te slaan.
