For those old enough to remember the marathon at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, you might recall how proud all Aussies were when Robert de Castella won the marathon. In a come from behind effort to win the race, spectators saw ‘Deek’ wiping the back of his legs with a wet sponge. Was he keeping his legs cool so that he could run faster? In fact, de Castella admitted later that he’d needed to go to the toilet and had ‘let go’ in the middle of the race. He was using the sponge to try to clean up the results.
So it’s with this story that 5 time finisher of the Hawkesbury canoe classic Richard Thomson almost came to the same predicament. 65kms into the race and things not looking so comfortable for the man sitting in the front seat, a mandatory pit stop avoided the need for the wet sponge treatment. Except for losing a paddle, nearly collecting a channel marker and almost being decapitated by a low hanging branch , the last 42kms against the tide and without any moonlight, was a mere cake walk.
Richard admits having an open age partner in Nathan really pushed him to the next level. With an average speed of just under 10kph for the 111km race, the OC2 crew were happy with their performance. Apart from a numb backside and some tender muscles, both crew members got through the event unscathed and without the assistance of a wet sponge.
Smiles all round for OC2 crew and support team
