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How a group of SAMS took on the Argus

On a Sunday morning, bursting with the promise of a warm Cape Town day, 16 SAMs took part in the 2011 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour.
Some of these SAMs were meeting for the first time, but most of them had two things in common – they were all past the age of forty and were taking control of their health.

Who are these SAMs? They are all members of a website (www.beingsam.co.za) and Facebook Group called BeingSam, started by Japie Swanepoel. Swanepoel, an entrepreneur in his forties, saw the need for an informative website that can empower men to take their health in their own hands. He started the movement last year and with nearly 2000 FB members and aiming for 10 000 in 2011, he’s not looking back.
On 13 March the BeingSam team exploded onto the scene from the corporate slot. Here a few SAMs share their impressions of that day…

Stephen – ‘I will be wearing my BeingSam shirt with pride’

Stephen Twine has been doing the Argus since 1987. His best time was 2:46min in the early nineties.
Says Stephen, “When I saw the BeingSam Invitation (to take part in the Argus), I decided that it was time to take my life back.”
However, he had to do it one step at a time. “I had to get a bike (decided to build one up), I tried to train (work prevented this) and I hoped my knee injury would hold out (it barely did but I made it anyway).”
Stephen says he loved meeting the other Sams.”Some of them had even greater obstacles to overcome than me, such as previous heart attacks.
“To be really honest – the best part of the ride for me was that I felt like I was part of a team, wearing the BeingSam shirt. I was constantly looking out for the other SAMs to cheer them on. I will treasure my shirt and wear it with pride…”

James – ‘BeingSam is about helping men realise that life is for living’

James Thornhill is an Argus veteran with 23 previous events under his belt.  He has ridden in every Argus since 1989. Then, a few years back, he changed his attitude.
“I stopped trying to be a racing snake and started riding from the back of the field with friends who were riding for the first time to help them enjoy the experience and finish.”
His best time to date is 2:51 on the 105km route. His best time on the current 110km route is 2:55.
“This year I wanted to be part of an event where I can help people achieve their personal goals. It was great meeting the other guys and hearing their stories. It was very rewarding to see the guys overcoming various challenges in their lives to be there. “For me the best part of the ride was to be part of a movement that helps men realise that life is for the living.”

Eugene – ‘At least I didn’t walk up the hills!’

Eugene Koekemoer is an Argus rookie. This was his first Argus, but he is no stranger to other races, having done the Momentum 94.7 and the Pick n Pay Amashova 106km a few times.
Eugene laughingly says his main goal was to find a flight that had reasonable flight times, and that he also would have liked to be thinner!
“It was great to meet the other SAMs. I got to know a few other people that have the same principles in life, which is getting healthy. I am now motivated to get thinner and to enjoy competing in the different races and to better my times.
“For me, the best part of the race was that I didn’t wipe out with my new cleats and that I didn’t walk up any hills!”

Deon – ‘I am now a SAM for life..’

Deon Bougaart has done a few of the previous Argus tours, but it has been four years since his last one. In 1996 his time was 5:26, going down with the years to 6:35. Yet, this year he came in with 5:29:31!
“I wanted to take part this year because I realised that I had gained a lot of weight. I also had high blood pressure that was out of control.”
By the time the BeingSam Argus Invite went up on Facebook, Deon had just started with short rides to try and get himself into shape. At the time he was 86kg but set himself a personal goal to bring his weight down to his target weight of 75kg. His other goal was to get the doctor to stop or reduce his blood pressure medication within 6 months.
“When I saw the BeingSam invite to the Argus, I thought it could be the ideal vehicle for me to achieve my goals. When I became part of the BeingSam group, It inspired me to train harder and to enter smaller races to get into the swing of things.”
“Meeting the other SAMs and the camaraderie was special. I knew that if I wanted to reach my target of finishing within five hours, I had to keep going on with the race. I therefore only made a few pre-determined
stops. The encouragement I got from the guys were priceless. Some of them cycled with me for some distance and chatted with me. I was so proud of being part of the Being Sam group.
“I am now a SAM for life.”

About the Author

Japie Swanepoel is founder-member of BeingSam, a movement to help men empower themselves and lead a healthy lifestyle.

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