DINdigital:
Words & Photos by Theo von Bardeleben, Competitive Masters Swimmer
Finding a new spirit of adventure at
Everest Base Camp Competitive sport has always been close to my heart and I have treated sport as an important part of my life. As a competitive Masters swimmer, I competed in various galas and open water swims, and in 2011 I won four Silver and two Gold medals in the Men’s 45-49 Masters category. I had done well at the Nationals Masters and my swimming career was looking great. My training for World Masters in Riccione, Italy, was taking shape nicely when disaster struck. A shoulder injury sidelined me and I had to undergo surgery. If rehab works, I might be able to take a crack again in 2014, but this year is definitely out for me. What to do? I felt frustrated, angry and lost without a sporting avenue in which to express myself. Then an opportunity I never dreamed of presented itself unexpectedly.
My daughter, Alex, came home one day with an invitation to trek to Everest Base Camp. A company called Streetschool, run by Klasie Wessels, offers adventure coaching experiences and the next such journey was to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Something triggered my interest – it sounded like a great adventure and something I could do with my daughter. Plus, I needed time out to refocus and deal with my disappointment of not being able to swim competitively anymore. We decided to join the expedition and this was the start of an adventure that I will never forget. From the time we landed in bustling Kathmandu, the adventure never stopped. The trip had all the makings of a complete experience. We were stretched beyond our limits and many times had to dig deep to successfully deal with our daily challenges. We witnessed open cremations at the Pashupatinath Hindu temple in Kathmandu, ate exotic foods and met some of the most humblest, kindest people on earth.
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