Friday, June 28, 2013

Media Release 28th June 2013

Master Lee Mc Gregor sets his sights on 2013 Berg
Cape Town – With his son and defending champion Hank McGregor conspicuously absent from this year's Berg River Canoe Marathon that starts in Paarl on 10 July, 61 year old Lee McGregor has stepped into the breach and plans to make full use of the uncluttered opportunity to make his mark.

"When Hank was younger I did a few Bergs with him, and there was always that feeling that I was just there to help Hank," says McGregor. "Now that Hank is not racing this year, it gives me freedom to race my own race and have some fun."

McGregor showed just what sort of form he is in at the recent Swartland Canoe Marathon, when he finished seventh, easily winning his Grand Master class and closing in on winning Under 23 Ivan Kruger.

"The Swartland was fun but I had to start in C batch, and I worked my way through the field. But that meant I was basically time trialling the race on my own, I hardly ever settled into a bunch!" said McGregor.

He is studiously avoiding the issue, but based on his Swartland result the 61 year old is poised to rewrite the record books if he can finish in the top ten overall, as a paddler over 50 years of age has never finished in the top ten of the tough four day 220km race from Paarl to the West Coast.

Andre Collins finished 20th when he was 51 years old and then improved on his own record by finishing 16th when he was 54 years old.

Gauteng powerhouse Graham Monteith did even better by finishing 14th when he was 53 years old and again improved on his own record by finishing 11th when he was 54 years old. But no paddler older than 50 has ever raced into the top ten.

"If you take his seventh position on the Swartland he will most probably be the first over 60 paddler to reach the top 20 on Berg this year and there is even an outside chance for top ten!" said stalwart statistician Giel van Deventer, also the joint record holder for most Bergs completed. "The man is just amazing."

Icon Nollie Meiring won the first ever Berg at 44 years of age, and to this day remains the only veteran (or over 40 years of age) paddler to win the race.

McGregor had been based in the US and flew home on the spur of the moment after getting a phone call from his son asking him to return to Durban.

"I didn't hesitate," says Lee McGregor, who was also a highly successful international swimmer and surf lifesaver. "It felt like it was time to put something back and to help where I can."

He has been spending long hours training paddlers at Blue Lagoon in Durban, before heading down to the Western Cape once again to settle in ahead of his Berg 29013 campaign.

McGregor started his Berg career while he was still living in Cape Town, and his son began paddling inspired by watching his father's efforts on the river. However this will only be McGregor's fifth Berg Marathon.
The Berg River Canoe marathon starts in Paarl on 10 July and ends at Velddrif on 13 July.

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