Johannesburg - A special documentary launching on Supersport this week, entitled Going Beyond The River, showcases the transformation of canoeing in South Africa and tells the true story behind the upcoming feature film Beyond The River.
Canoeing has witnessed a rapid rise of talented development paddlers from clubs such as the Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club (SCARC) in recent years; opening up the competitive space for numerous black paddlers.
One such rising SCARC star is Siseko Ntondini, whose journey to the 2014 Dusi Canoe Marathon with fellow paddler Piers Cruikshanks inspired the Beyond The River film; set to be released on South African big screens on 28 April.
Watch the trailer here:
SCARC is an ADreach social development initiative, founded and supported by CEO Brad Fisher, himself an avid paddler. “Canoeing gave me a tremendous sense of fulfillment. When I started canoeing, certainly in Gauteng, there were almost no black paddlers,” Fisher explains, “I felt that after what canoeing had done for me, I wanted to give back to people who could really benefit from the sport in the same way. It’s gone from being a development club to being the strongest club in Gauteng”
In 2006, Siseko Ntondini, then a youngster living in the informal settlement close to Orlando Dam in Soweto, was introduced into paddling at SCARC. “As time went on, SCARC gave us lessons to swim and race. After some time, I saw black people doing this thing, and I became motivated to work hard and succeed at canoeing,” says Ntondini. He is now one of the country’s top paddlers.
SCARC continues to give the youth of the historic township an opportunity to better their lives, as well as providing mentoring, life skills and work opportunities. Ntondini, and several other SCARC paddlers, have since gone on to win a number of gold medals at the Dusi Canoe Marathon; considered one of the world’s toughest river races.
The documentary was produced by Indie Village, and will be aired extensively across Supersport channels over the next six weeks.
Here's when and where you can watch it: