In the 50-year history of the Midmar Mile, countless champions have stood atop the podium, and numerous characters have evolved as stalwarts of the legendary event.
Rita Townsend is one such swimmer who has mostly flown under the radar despite her remarkable achievements.
The 66-year-old is the mother of Olympic relay winner and former world record holder Darian Townsend, but she has also established a remarkable record for herself.
The first time the swimmer from Pietermaritzburg raced in the Midmar Mile was in 1981, when she and her husband Ted first relocated to the city.
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They did not return until the 1990s, when their children were older, and it was then that Townsend began her triumphant run at Midmar.
Her age group triumphs span an astounding four decades (three in the 31-40 category, seven in the 41-50, eight in the 51-60s and three so far in the 61-70s).
However, victory was not necessarily Townsend’s primary motivator throughout the years.
She explained, “I enjoy staying fit and living a healthy lifestyle.”
“Swimming is the easiest form of exercise for me. My primary objective is to maintain good health and avoid weight gain, but I lack the time to log the miles I would want.
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Much of Townsend’s time is devoted to teaching and coaching, and many young Pietermaritzburg swimmers have graduated from her ranks.
“As a swimming teacher and coach at the elementary school level, I am ecstatic when I am able to instill a passion for swimming in children who go on to swim competitively at the club level or enjoy participating in our Midmar Mile,” she added.
“Competitive swimming keeps children productively occupied, away from excessive amounts of television and video games, and off the streets. The Midmar Dam and the seashore were our family’s weekend destinations while our children were young.
MIDMAR MILE OCCURS THIS WEEKEND
Townsend said, “Partially because Midmar is close to our home, but primarily because [race director] Wayne Riddin puts on such a spectacular annual swimming event.” It becomes an entertaining event for both participants and spectators. It is also a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and swimmers from throughout the nation.”
Regarding her chances of winning her 22nd age group championship this weekend, Townsend says she is unsure.
“I am not overly optimistic about winning this year. I did not win it the previous year. I have never won a complete decade. As you approach the end of a decade, you begin competing against individuals much younger than yourself. That I do not always win is acceptable.
“This year, I’m just going to be delighted to be on the podium because I know there are a lot of excellent swimmers who are truly better than me… Do your best on race day and aim to swim in the straightest line possible to avoid swimming additional meters. As this is the 50th anniversary of the Midmar Mile, I’m certain there will be fierce competition, so I’m looking forward to seeing a plethora of classic cars and we’ll see how the day goes.”
The Midmar Mile takes occur in Midmar Dam in KwaZulu-Natal from February 9-12, 2023.
The online entry period has ended.
Those who still prefer to swim may register on-site at the dam, but they must arrive two hours prior to their event.
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