The Sun City Swim was started in 1998 by a committee of enthusiastic open water swimmers from Gauteng Masters Swimming. Many of the members of the 1st organizing committee are still involved today in organizing and helping to run the event. The 1st swim attracted 173 swimmers swimming 2 laps of a 750m course on a sunny Saturday afternoon in October.
The inaugural sponsor of the event was Sun City have remained committed since 1998 - this being the 14th year. The event has grown each year and 2010 recorded 2316 entrants.
|
Boys 13 & Under |
Time |
Girls 13 & Under |
Time |
|
1500m |
|
1500m |
|
1998 |
Gavin Kyte |
21:50 |
Jenna Kamps |
23:21 |
1999 |
Tyron Venter |
16:56 |
Erna Wedemeyer |
17:02 |
2000 |
Garry Jackson |
22:31 |
Sasha Schwendenwein |
21:28 |
2001 |
Jacque Human |
19:34 |
Nicole Verbiest |
19:12 |
2002 |
Carlos Lavos |
22:30 |
Natasha Boshoff |
20:59 |
2003 |
Jay Cee Thompson |
20:51 |
Tamzin McGee |
23:09 |
2004 |
Trevor Johnson |
21:53 |
Tamzin McGee |
21:23 |
2005 |
Edward Bond |
19:26 |
Jenny White |
21:28 |
2006 |
Murray Pretorius |
19:29 |
Natalie Videira |
20:23 |
2007 |
Merrick Stevenson |
20:52 |
Alison Greer |
22:03 |
2008 |
Merrick Stevenson |
21:18 |
Ashley van den Heever |
22:14 |
2009 |
Derryn Nel |
20:32 |
Anel de Vos |
20:55 |
2010 |
BF Burger |
19:48 |
Narlies Ross |
20:27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mens 14 - 30 |
Time |
Ladies 14 - 30 |
Time |
|
1500m |
|
1500m |
|
1998 |
Rob Mackay |
19:07 |
Cara Jean Gough |
23:21 |
1999 |
Rob Mackay |
15:43 |
Lizette Hattingh |
16:55 |
2000 |
Anthony van Wijk |
19:29 |
Kim van Deventer |
20:13 |
2001 |
Tyron Venter |
17:44 |
Erna Wedemeyer |
18:07 |
2002 |
Dominik Meichtry |
19:58 |
Kim van Deventer |
21:42 |
2003 |
David van der Bijl |
19:35 |
Sasha Schwendenwein |
19:59 |
2004 |
Dominik Meichtry |
18:21 |
Natalie du Toit |
19:50 |
2005 |
Chad Ho |
16:30 |
Veila Jansen van Rensburg |
17:50 |
2006 |
Chad Ho |
17:04 |
Veila Janse van Vuuren |
18:45 |
2007 |
Shaun Diaz |
17:31 |
Megan Stephens |
19:34 |
2008 |
Tyron Venter |
18:52 |
Natalie du Toit |
20:27 |
2009 |
Terrance Parkin |
17:33 |
Karlien van Heerden / Natalie du Toit |
18:04 |
2010 |
Abdul-Malik Railoon |
18:49 |
Megan Stephens |
19:40 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Men 31 & over |
Time |
Ladies 31 & over |
Time |
|
1500m |
|
1500m |
|
1998 |
Terry Downes |
21:14 |
Clare Davie |
22;24 |
1999 |
Christopher Buchanan |
18:12 |
Chris MacKinnon |
18:43 |
2000 |
Gregg Price |
22:41 |
Chris MacKinnon |
22:47 |
2001 |
Terry Downes |
19:48 |
Clare Davie |
21:23 |
2002 |
Terry Downes |
22:58 |
Claudia Enslin |
25:01 |
2003 |
Gregg Price |
21:37 |
Cheryl Young |
23:22 |
2004 |
Gregg Price |
21:13 |
Rachelle Isakov |
22:09 |
2005 |
Gregg Price |
18:40 |
Rachelle Isakov |
21:22 |
2006 |
Gregg Price |
19:23 |
Rachelle Isakov |
22:27 |
2007 |
Gregg Price |
19:17 |
Rachelle Isakov |
21:39 |
2008 |
Steve Hurley |
21:20 |
Heather Morris-Eyton |
21:45 |
2009 |
Steve Hurley |
19:26 |
Heather Morris-Eyton |
21:22 |
2010 |
Emiel van Vuuren |
21:17 |
Nadia Bacchini |
24:15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mens 3000m |
Time |
Ladies 3000m |
Time |
2006 |
Shaun Diaz |
35:25 |
Veila Janse van Vuuren |
36:03 |
2007 |
Shaun Diaz |
35:16 |
Natasha Di Rago |
38:54 |
2008 |
Tyron Venter |
37:09 |
Natalie du Toit |
41:28 |
2009 |
Tyron Venter |
35:14 |
Natalie du Toit |
38:16 |
2010 |
Abdul-Malik Railoon |
38:23 |
Zoe Venter |
40:08 |
In 2008 certain improvements were made for disabled swimmers. Firstly the introduction of a wider range of prizes for swimmers with both physical and intellectual disability. Secondly the introduction of the Courage award. This award is awarded to the swimmer who has had to overcome a significant adversity in the preceding 12 months from the date of the Sun City event. The first winner of this award was Saskia Schulze a young lady who was paralyzed in a car accident approximately 12 months prior to the 2008 swim. Not being a great swimmer before the accident, Saskia managed to compete her first open water swim at Sun City 2008. Saskia, we salute you.
In 2008, In Motion Africa, became involved in the event management of the Dis-Chem Sun City Swim. It's the vision of In Motion Africa to grow and support the sport of open water swimming in South Africa. We have for a number of years stated that Open water swimming is the fastest growing family sport (where the whole family can participate) in South Africa.
With the swim being one of the first in the open water season it is an ideal time for schools and clubs to do some team building for the coming season. As highlighted above, there are categories for Junior schools, High school boys and girls to win team prizes.
A huge bonus for all the swimmers participating is once they have finished swimming they head off with a free entry to the Sun City Valley of the Waves.
In 2010 a team event was introduced in memory of the late Ross Lawson who died while cycling on 29th August 2010. It was run as a separate event that year but feedback indicated that the participants would rather move on to the Valley of the Waves. So from 2011 results are computed out of entrants in all 4 1500m events. The categories are family, non family and corporate.
Abdul-Malik Railoon and Tyrone Venter
1st and 2nd 2010 Mens 14-30
Megan Stephens 14-30 Ladies 2010 winner