After having completed the ultimate one day endurance race in 2010, THE IRONMAN, which comprises of  a 3,8km swim followed by a 180km cycle and 42,2km running, to make a total of 286km, Liezel has decided to set this challenge for herself, and will be doing the 6 qualifying races needed to compete in this tough race in February. She has teamed up with The High Performance Manager for Canoeing South Africa, Gregory van Heerden, for this exciting event.  Gregory has a wealth of paddling and coaching experience and is looking forward to returning once again to the race that started him paddling 23 years ago.

Liezel and Gregory have already completed 3 of the qualifying events needed to enter the Unlimited Dusi, by racing and winning the K2(doubles) section of the Western Cape Canoe Unions “Breede Summer Series” earlier in January.  This weekend they will be jetting up to KZN to compete in the Dash n Crash and Campbells to Dusi Bridge races, Liezel’s first glimpse of the legendary Dusi.   Not daunted in any way, and with only 12 weeks from complete novice to the race, Liezel has been putting in long hours of tough training with Gregory in order to properly prepare for the event.  Daily paddles at Milnerton Canoe Club, beach runs, and gym sessions (including hiking up Table Mountain with the boat) are all part of the training programme Gregory has devised to ensure that he and Liezel not only give the other celebrity entrants a serious run for their money, but are also well prepared to take on the big race.  The Unlimited Dusi canoe marathon from Camps Drift, Pietermaritzburg to Blue Lagoon, Durban takes place on 16-18 February 2012.