Former St Andrew’s College pupil and Rhodes University student, Tim Stones, took part in the Deaflympic Marathon in Taiwan in September.
Stones said that at the start of the 42km marathon at 6am, it was already 31 degrees celsius, with 67% humidity.
Former St Andrew’s College pupil and Rhodes University student, Tim Stones, took part in the Deaflympic Marathon in Taiwan in September.
Stones said that at the start of the 42km marathon at 6am, it was already 31 degrees celsius, with 67% humidity.
“The course was all hills, hills, and more hills – no flat sections to recover," he said. Athletes had to provide their own drinks, which were placed at tables every 5 kilometres “somewhat different from the luxury we have in SA of drink stations every 3 kilometres – and made worse given the heat of Taipei”.
Stones got to the first watering table, in need of his water due to the heat, only to find that someone had taken his bottle, and this happened again at the 10km mark and the 15km mark.
Not having any fluid for the first 15km Stones was in desperate need of some water as he was in danger of “passing out”.
“To my utmost relief, someone passed me some water just before the halfway mark, and I gulped it down”.
Due to a lack of fluid in his body for the first half, Stones felt the consequences in the second half, which he described as “hard, and I just had to grit it through”.
“An ambulance twice suggested that I should get in as, by the 30km mark, the heat, humidity and earlier lack of water had seriously compromised my ability to walk, let alone run, in a straight line.
I felt awful. But I refused their assistance, signing to them that I would walk the last few kilometres to the finish if I had to – but I would never give up. I was representing my country, my team, my family, and all those who have believed in me, and supported me towards achieving my Deaflympic dream – and I was not going to let them down."
Stoned collapsed after crossing the line where the British team’s doctor was waiting for him. He was placed on a stretcher, and a team of volunteers covered him in ice, and handed him several bottles of water to rehydrate.
“They ran some tests, but thankfully I was declared fine, with the treatment being to drink fluids throughout the day and to rest,” said Stones.
There were 29 athletes on the starting list, with five pulling out before the start of the race. A further ten dropped out during the race, Stones finished 14th.
“I feel enriched by the whole experience of the Taipei Deaflympics, and am most grateful to all who supported me, both financially and emotionally, to achieve this dream. Without them, Taipei would have remained but a dream.”
The next Deaflympics will be held in Athens in 2013, with the marathon following the same course as the 2004 Athens Olympic Marathon.
Stones’ next opportunity to compete internationally in the marathon will be at the second World Deaf Athletics Championships, which take place in Toronto, Canada.
He has been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Deaf Cross-Country Championships, which take place in Romania, in April 2010 at the 4km and the 12km events.
Anyone interested in sponsoring Stones with his upcoming champs can email him on timstones1@hotmail.com
