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18 April 2018
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Gerda Steyn, former Kovsie student and winner of the Two Oceans ultramarathon this year, with her trophy.
Gerda Steyn, female winner of this year’s Two Oceans ultramarathon, says her life has changed for the better in a very short time.
The former Kovsie received an invitation to a world-renowned marathon at the end of the year. She may not reveal the details yet.
Steyn, who studied Quantity Surveying and Construction Management at the University of the Free State (UFS) between 2009 and 2012, was just the third South African to win the Two Oceans since 1994. Her time of 3:39:31 was the second-best in the past seven years. For many she was a surprise winner because she didn’t compete last year and only managed a 14th place in 2016.
“Things really took off since the race (in Cape Town at the end of March). I received a lot of exposure. People say you must try and win the race, but they don’t tell you what will happen after that with all the media attention.
“My next goal is the Comrades for which I started training in the third week of April. I will only decide on my specific goals for the race two weeks beforehand.” She obtained a fourth place last year.
According to Steyn, who is a full-time athlete, she only did a couple of cross country races while she was studying.
“I played a bit of soccer and hockey for my hostel (Soetdoring). I have very fond memories from my university days. A couple of our hostel friends had a reunion after the race in Cape Town and had reason to have a big party.”
Lecturer advises Sudanese government
2009-02-12
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Mr Andries Jordaan and a Sudanese farmer during his recent visit to that country.
Photo: Supplied |
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Mr Andries Jordaan, Director of the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTeC) at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently visited Sudan to conduct an environmental impact study next to the Blue Nile and Dinder rivers, west of Ethiopia. The Sudanese government is in an advanced stage of implementing a new irrigation scheme of 1 million hectare in this area.
As part of this study he conducted research on the current indigenous drought strategies of farmers in order to make recommendations on how they can effectively overcome the dry months (stretching from September to April).
He was part of the team who last year planned and monitored the resettlement of 70 000 people during the building of the Merowe Dam in the Nile River in northern Sudan. Mr Jordaan is contracted as agricultural specialist by Lahmeyer International, a German engineering company.
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