The sportorganiser of the St. Michael’s School for Girls in Bloemfontein, Michelle Bridger, underlined her superb versatility and endurance last week when she completed the Big 5 challenge at the Knysna Oyster Festival. Approximately 100 men and 30 women competed in the event. On the first day competitors were tested in an 80-km mountain bike race and this was Bridger’s weakest event. She could only manage to finish 21st among the women. Her time of 6:43:13 was mediocre, but her best was yet to come.
On the second day athletes were given a choice of either swimming a nautical mile (1,852 km) in a lagoon or cycle a 100-km road race. Bridger opted for the swim and finished in third position in a good time of 32:33. A trail run was on the cards on the third day and Bridger finished in a respectable 16th place in 1:28:29 with 14 runners in her wake.
This was followed by day four where the competitors did an Exterra event where they had to complete a 3-km trail run, 23-km mountain bike run and 7-km trail run. Bridger found the cycling section difficult again and completed this event in 18th position in 2:46:19.
The final day of the competition saw competitors negotiating a half marathon (21,1 km) run and this is where Bridger made up mega points on several ladies who were still in front of her. She ran a brisk 1:45:48 for the half marathon to cross the line in ninth position. Athletes were awarded points for the times they completed the five events in and not for their positions. This resulted in Bridger finishing in ninth position (3534 points) overall. Only 24 ladies eventually completed the Big 5.
One of the country’s foremost multisport athletes, Carla van Huyssteen, won the gruelling Big 5 with a massive total of 4722 points.
By comparison to Bridger’s 3534 points, the last lady (24th) on the result sheet scored a mere 1313 points. Endurance events are nothing new to Bridger. In January she also completed the Half Ironman competition in East London. Here she had to complete as 1,9-km swimming, 90-km cycling and a half marathon run, all in succession.
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