Mari Rabie has decided to move on from elite triathlon, but in her wake she leaves an impressive and inspiring story, that only her good friend Jodie Cunnama could capture so eloquently.
Text by Jodie Cunnama | Lead Image by Witsup
When you interview an athlete with fourteen years of national representation, eighty three international starts for South Africa and two Olympic Games under her belt; you interview a sportsperson of substance…
That kind of longevity is rare in sport in any circumstance, aside from the fact the athlete in question hails from the African continent, obtained an undergraduate degree whilst balancing qualification for two major games, and then won a national ‘Rhodes Scholarship’ to Oxford University (the real one, not the polytechnic).
Hang on, I’m still not done.
Having obtained her Oxford MBA, in 2015 she duly turned her retailing project into a successful start up business that currently employs 33 staff – all whilst qualifying for Rio.
She sees ‘MovePretty’, her activewear brand for women, as playing a ‘small social role’ for homemade industry in South Africa (a country that struggles with a twenty seven percent unemployment rate). I am not sure the thirty pay rolled seamstresses would agree with her.
Extraordinary sentences flow easily into ordinary conversation when Mari Rabie talks about herself.
“When I left school at eighteen I decided I wanted to make the Commonwealth Games team … When I had qualified for that I wanted to make the Olympic team.”
- Mari Rabie
These are not ordinary pursuits and moreover are rarely ones achieved. Mari shows little ceremony around such accomplishment, no dreaming or fantasy. She is clearly ambitious and confident in her ability but matter of fact and logical.
You get the feeling that what Mari wants – she goes and gets.
Mari’s first years on the international junior circuit coincided with a fresh and invigorated revival of South African sport. Recently out of apartheid, and only eight years allowed back into international competition, the new South Africa was a country the people could be proud to represent, it was an incredible time for the country in general.
The sanctions imposed on South Africa began in 1964 and lasted twenty eight years. Three generations of South African sportspeople’s dreams were crippled by apartheid .
Limited only to domestic racing, champions like Zola Budd, Kepler Wessels and Sydney Maree had no choice but to switch national allegiance for an opportunity to race at international level, let alone any chance of making racing monetarily viable.
The long absence from international presence meant that young South Africans had far fewer native role models to emulate in triathlon but it also meant that domestic competition drew a higher amount of focus and the feats that could be accomplished by home racers within South Africa were suddenly recognised and supported.
The adoration of endurance events like the Comrades Marathon and the Dusi canoe marathon mushroomed during the apartheid era. Champions like Bruce Fordyce used his success and voice as a platform for protest of the Apartheid regime and sport quickly became not only about competition but also a symbol of human unity and hope in a very segregated society.
Sport certainly began to show it’s political importance.
When the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, it symbolised far more than a world title. It cemented the victory of Mandela’s united ‘Rainbow Nation’ against suppression and oppression.
As Nelson Mandela declared ‘Sport has the power to change the world.’ It’s hard to not visualise young South Africans like Mari Rabie not being profoundly inspired to see their flag flying high in victory ceremonies.
It was watching Stellenbosch local Elena Meyer’s inspirational performance at the 1992 Olympic Games to win silver that focused Mari’s dreams directly on the Olympic games, a goal that has not wavered since.
For some, qualifying for the Olympics would fullfil a career – they can walk away from a sport satisfied and proud. But the Olympics isn’t always a dream come true. From personal experience, I know that nothing really matches the emotional devastation a bad Olympic Games experience can cause.
Uncomfortable in a decision to retire having never celebrated a good Olympic race it was her perceived failure at the 2008 games that drove Mari on a mission to remedy her nightmare, through a failed qualification for London 2012 and then, once again, to regroup and produce her Olympic Games Version II, a long eight years later.
It took forty one races to finally secure the Olympic dream of 2016 which saw an 11th place finish and brought Mari’s final peace with her lifelong quest to run across the Olympic finish line for South Africa and know she had done all she could.
If anyone needs a demonstration of perseverance – example Mari Rabie.
(c) Wagner Araujo | ITU
The 2016 success was partly, perhaps hugely, due to adopting a new coach in Darren Smith and training amongst his group of champion women.
“At the end of 2015 I was in a desperate place, I needed to do something amazing to qualify and at that time he was definitely the option that would help me do that.”
- Mari Rabie
In December 2015 I witnessed a different mindset in my friend. More focus, more competitive and more driven. Mari’s results duly flourished changing from finishing mid 20s in ITU WTS (World Triathlon Series) to regular top 15s. Mari stopped part time work in the May preceding the Olympics and acknowledges the focus and recovery time that brought to her sport.
It was a necessary temporary sacrifice under Smith but it wasn’t all sweetness and light. Her previous life in sport flipping training and professional life felt more balanced and created more stimulation than being a full time athlete with only athlete concerns and athlete recovery.
“As a person I wasn’t happy, I craved a little bit more.”
- Mari Rabie
Working so intensely with Smith definitely challenged Mari. There was perhaps more conflict than comfort and more confrontation than was ideal. Smith is a totalitarian coach, he makes the decisions; only he conducts the orchestra.
“I think there were multiple times he wanted to chop my head off and an equal number of times I wanted to punch him in the face.”
- Mari Rabie
She was resilient and committed to the process throughout the battles. Her fast improvements and bettering results made it easier to tow the line with the respected coach. He was definitely fulfilling his brief.
She did indeed do something amazing – the biggest mover in terms of world rankings in 2016. The investment had paid off.
(c) Delly Carr | ITU Media
But being part of a developing world in elite sport can be a frustrating place to race. Whilst other federations have the revenue to support a large volume of athletes, South Africa operates a scaled down funding system. It often only rewards an already World Class result instead of supporting the production process to obtain that result.
“It is a third world country so you can’t expect to get as much funding as a first world country. I mean, we are sitting on a youth unemployment figure of 36 percent.
“Saying that, there is funding available but it is only there once you reach the top. If you are ranked top ten in the world you will get funding from the Olympic committee.
“This year we were lucky TSA paid for our flights to international races which made a massive difference. But, you know, this is the situation so you have to make it work for you despite the lack of funding.”
- Mari Rabie
And they do. South African triathletes are, if not abundant, very, very good. Kate Roberts, Henri Schoeman, Richard Murray, Gillian Sanders and Mari have flourished. Each have devised ways of getting to races to win prize money, to then reinvest that money back into their development.
It perhaps make them more resourceful in the short term and stronger athletes in the long term.
Whilst we are not talking poor or needy here – Mari’s father is a renowned Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon (that many a visiting triathlete has been to see over the years in Stellenbosch), but in a less privileged scenario one wonders how much talent falls by the wayside due to lack of finance and training provision.
“In South Africa often if your parents can’t pay for you you are kind of stuck”
- Mari Rabie
It was that concern that led Libby Burrell of the ITU to create the ITU development Team in 2006. The initiative aimed to spread worldwide involvement in ITU racing by supporting athletes racing for less represented countries. Somewhat obvious provisions like coaching, a mechanic, physiotherapy were provided to the members. The benefits of such expertise quickly became apparent with it’s members surpassing all expectations and each sustaining long and successful triathlon careers.
Mari was one of the original group of athletes selected. Lisa Norden, Flora Duffy, Barbara Riveros, and Kate Roberts the others. Looking at what they have done for the popularity and notoriety of triathlon in their respective countries the inaugural ‘ITU Development Team Alumni’ remain incredible advocates for that scheme.
South Africa fell out of the criteria for selection for a while but are now within the criteria once again and this pathway may well provide a passport for a few South African stars of the future.
(c) Wagner Araujo | ITU Media
‘Paying it forward’, Mari is now involved with the endurance academy based in Stellenbosch set up by her hero – Elena Meyer herself.
Endurocad identifies, nurtures and supports long distance runners providing facilities and expertise to aid them in their careers.
She mentors at least two of our local juniors (the Quenet siblings) and still participates in multiple training sessions and races across the country. I say participate, she often wins. Her calendar just now involves ‘participation’ in Xterra SA, The Cape Epic and African X. She trains with me regularly.
As Mari moves on in her career (already the Executive Assistant to the CEO at Remgro Ltd, one of the largest investment companies in the country), she reflects on the ups and downs that all solid sporting lives must have.
She has witnessed, and been a part of, massive evolution of ITU racing during the years; its professionality, its depth, its exposure and has high hopes for that to continue into the next decade. She is not adverse to change in a sport that has changed so much, does not condemn the rumours that the Olympics may race a sprint distance in 2020. She is really excited about the prospect for more televised, high profile national team racing. he welcomes the breath of fresh air these new ideas bring to more predictable and lengthy coverage of endurance sport.
Experienced, intelligent and talented – Mari will surely be missed in the front pack of the ITU circuit. But it is not the racing that Mari herself will miss the most. It’s personal connections that she recognises as her happiest memories in the sport. Hamburg 2016 where her uncle got to watch her race; Rio where her friends and family shared her Olympic experience.
Sentiment wins over achievement in the big picture of her career.
“It’s swimming in the mornings with friends and seeing the sun come up through the trees.
“It’s more feelings than results because results come and go. They are rare and you have to take time to celebrate them.”
- Mari Rabie
The love Mari has for the sport and the life it has helped create for her is evident through all she does and says. There is no sadness at leaving the chapter of elite triathlon behind her though. It feels concluded and she seems very at peace with that.
“It’s important to leave the sport on a high. I’m still in love with it and it’s important to me to move on now.”
- Mari Rabie
Not all successful sports stories end with an Olympic gold or a World Championship or a World Record. Some, arguably the best, careers in sport are those journeys fought through life’s trials, through devastation, through trial and through unhappiness. Your maturation, your perseverance, the friendships made, the successes shared, even the arguments battled – they are the basics of life and they are best practiced in sport.
A journey is a distance travelled. A successful journey is one that takes a person to a higher place.
Congratulations Mari Rabie on a stellar triathlon career. Your triathlon family salutes you as an ocean of opportunity laps at your feet.
On Your Marks …
Jodie Cunnama