Minister Mackenzie congratulates Berg River Marathon’s oldest finisher

On Saturday, 6 July 2024, ‘Oom Jannie’ Malherbe, at the age of 84, successfully finished his 51st Berg River Canoe Marathon. He is now tied with the record holder for the most finishes, Giel van Deventer, who sadly passed away in 2022.
 
This is an exceptional achievement and I congratulate Oom Jannie on his remarkable commitment to paddling. I have been especially inspired by his love for the sport and the joy he gets from being on the river. He is truly living his life motto to go out and live an active lifestyle rather than staying at home.
 
Oom Jannie completed his first Berg River Canoe Marathon in 1962, as one of the original pioneers of the four-day race.
 
I would also like to congratulate the organisers of this exciting event, which is an iconic fixture on the Western Cape’s annual sporting calendar. Through its canoeing development programme and subsidised entries, they actively involve communities along the route between Paarl and Velddrif.