Ride well, Burry

Burry Stander during the 2009 Barberton Mountain Bike Challenge.

Ride well, Burry

I first met Burry Stander in 2009 on the back of an old bakkie. I didn’t know him personally, but that meeting had a huge effect on my life. We were coming down a steep and slippery mountain pass in a forest about 20km outside Barberton, Mpumalanga. 

It was the annual Barberton Mountain bike challenge and Burry had taken a very nasty fall in the mud. 

I was on the chase vehicle with friend and sports writer Wilhelm de Swart, covering the race. 

We picked Burry up after seeing that he was unable to continue the race. He was covered in mud and his knee was bleeding. It was my first race and I couldn’t believe that the great Burry Stander was sitting between the two of us on the back of a bakkie getting pounded by the bad road.

It was raining and Burry was getting cold. I offered my rain jacket to him and there he sat, being jolted around, covered in mud, bleeding into my rain jacket. I obviously felt sad that he couldn’t finish the race and that he was hurting – but I was also incredibly proud that we were helping an injured athlete of his stature and that he was bleeding into my personal rain jacket. 

I took a picture of Burry before he got on the bakkie. He was obviously in pain, though, and I decided not to take any more pictures of him bleeding. 

I remember him smiling and cracking jokes with us even though he was cold, hurt and disappointed.

I decided on that bakkie to get more involved in covering mountain bike racing and that eventually led to me getting a bike for myself. 

Cycling has now become a part of my life in the same way photography did so many years ago. Somehow Burry had a role in that and I’m extremely grateful. 

I remember watching Burry compete in the Olympics last year, screaming at the top of my voice wanting him to get a medal. 

He showed so much grit on the day – something he was known for.

Burry, I know that you are already cycling again where you are now. I’m sure your legs won’t ever hurt again and that you will never slip and fall in the mud. You’ll be riding on the best single track in the most beautiful misty forests the universe has to offer.

You made South Africa proud.