Johannesburg, 21 Feb 2005
Rika Geyser, SA`s top woman rower, will take part in the 118th Buffalo Regatta, which takes place from 17 to 19 February on the Buffalo River in East London.
Geyser, 26, is the only woman taking part in the men`s single scull events. There is every expectation that she will compete in the men`s B single scull final. Geyser was in top form two weeks ago when she won the women`s single scull event and reached the men`s A single scull final at the VLC Sprint Regatta in Germiston. She was also the first woman to compete in the men`s single scull A final.
"Male rowers are generally much faster than females; international standards show that they finish 40 seconds ahead of the strongest female competitors as a result of their physical strength and height advantage," says Geyser, who attributes her success to her technique, and to the amount of time she spends training.
A major highlight on the South African rowing calendar, the Buffalo Regatta began in 1881 and has been held every year since then except during the war years. Two major trophies are at stake, the Buffalo Grand Challenge (for Senior A Coxless Fours) and the Silver Sculls (for Senior A Single Sculls). These two trophies are commonly regarded as the most valuable in southern Africa for any sport.
"Not all South African events allow women to compete in the men`s events. At the VLC Sprint Regatta there was a break of only 25 minutes between the women`s single scull final and the men`s final. I was very tired, but it felt good to give the men a run for their money," Geyser says.
Geyser is mentally prepared for this weekend`s regatta: "The Buffalo Regatta is the first 2 000m race of the season," she says. "I`m aiming for a very fast first 500m, then to build the rest of the race from there, and to finish strongly."
At the 2004 Henley Royal Regatta Geyser competed in the Women`s single scull final - a momentous achievement considering that she started single sculling in 2003 after rowing in a coxless pair with Colleen Orsmond. At the South African Championship held in East London last year, Geyser won the women`s single scull event by 55 seconds.
A part-time employee of IT company arivia.kom, Geyser says the sponsorship she receives from the company as part of its corporate social investment (CSI) programme has been a major factor in her success, allowing her to focus on her training and enabling her to participate in local and overseas events. This is the third year that arivia.kom is sponsoring Rowing South Africa (ROWSA).
"Compared to many other South African women athletes I am in a very fortunate position," says Geyser. "Arivia.kom covers the costs of my tours, my training in SA and abroad, and my participation in overseas competitions. In addition, my employment contract has been tailored to allow for my training and participation in competitions, so I am able to focus on my sport as well as develop my career."
Arivia.kom`s sponsorship for ROWSA focuses on the building of a women`s elite rowing squad and the overall transformation of the sport. The company provides branded rowing gear for the women`s squad, and has succeeded in positioning Geyser as the top woman rower in SA, and ROWSA`s biggest hope for international success in the women`s leagues.
Arivia.kom funds ROWSA`s transformation programme to identify and include PDI schools and organisations in the rowing sport. Schools and clubs are encouraged to submit proposals for programmes to involve previously disadvantaged junior and senior students in rowing.
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