Hentie Nortje wants to make his swims across Midmar Dam count. This year will mark the 25th consecutive time the blind attorney and Tshwane municipal councillor has participated in the aQuellé Midmar Mile and he has decided to raise funds for the place his education began – the Prinshof School for the Visually Impaired in Pretoria.
“There are numerous things which keep me coming back each year,” explained Nortje. “I have really enjoyed the challenge each year and swimming is also a method of keeping me fit.
“After I swam 10, the challenge to increase the number of completed Midmar Miles always was a further goal.”
While this year marks his 25th, it was 12 years ago that Nortje decided to start raising money for various good causes – something thousands of swimmers do each year. In fact, since 2016, the aQuellé Midmar Mile has raised close to R20 million for charity.
Asked what makes the event so special, Nortje explained: “The Midmar Mile is, in the first instance, the biggest open-water swimming event in the world and still is very well planned and organised. It makes space for all walks of life and even the disabled. Disability is not always the priority for individuals, institutions and the government in South Africa.
“I would like to see myself as an activist for the disabled. This project for the 2025 Midmar Mile will contribute to teaching foundation phase learners at Prinshof School to swim and be safe in water,” he added.
ACCOMMODATING THE DISABLED
Like last year, Nortje will swim with his son, Henco, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing when it comes to his guide swimmers.
“During a race some time ago, my pilot decided to drop out of the race halfway through the mile and left me ‘high and dry’ in the middle of the dam. Due to common sense of some marshals, I was fortunate to get another pilot and could complete the race.”
Nortje will be one of the many swimmers with a disability who will take to the famous KwaZulu-Natal dam in the first event on the morning of Saturday, 8 February.
“At the end of each Midmar Mile, I am always relieved, thankful and motivated for the next year. I must give credit to the organisers for having this event for so many years now, and, as I have pointed out, to specifically also accommodate the disabled,” he added.
Those wishing to still enter the aQuellé Midmar Mile, which takes place from 6-9 February, can do so at the dam on the day as online entries are now closed. Swimmers are urged to arrive early to avoid disappointment.