Leisure Wheels – September 2019

ADVENTURERINTERVIEW Martin and Jeannie Dreyer

With victories in some of the world’s toughest events

inluding the Land Rover G4 Challenge, Freedom

Challenge, Dusi Canoe Marathon and Munga

mountain-bike event, Martin and Jeannie Dreyer

know a thing or two about endurance sports.

POWER

COUPLE

Martin and Jeannie Dreyer have been there and won

that. Their list of palmarès includes the Dusi Canoe

marathon, Freedom Challenge, Munga and Land

Rover G4 challenge to name a few. We caught up

with them at this year’s Cape Epic.

14 SEPTEMBER 2019 leisurewheels.co.za

Martin, how did your association with

Land Rover come about?

In 2006, I won the South African round

of the G4 challenge and went on to represent

South Africa, where I raced for four weeks in

four different locations round the world,

against competitors from 18 countries.

I managed to pull the rabbit out of the

hat and win the event, first prize was a

Range Rover.

You had to drive the car for at least the

year but instead of the Range Rover, I asked

for a Discovery and a Defender. I sold the

T

his year was a jam-

packed one for the

Dreyer couple. They

started off tackling the

Dusi Canoe Marathon and did the

Cape Epic together. Jeannie then

ran her first Comrades marathon

and Martin returned to the

Freedom Challenge. Training for

these events takes a lot of time and

the Dreyers need to do this while

raising two children and running

the Change a Life Academy.

Discovery for some cash and drove the

Defender. I’ve been a fan ever since.

Martin, did winning the G4 challenge

open doors for you?

Yes, that was a massive win, it was a proper

adventure. We were tested across all

disciplines, both sporting and in terms of

driving ability. It is definitely a highlight.

The competition was made into a reality

show but unfortunately it was never shown

on South African TV.

Martin, how did you and Jeannie meet?

Through adventure racing where we raced

against each other. We eventually teamed up

as a mixed team and ended up beating all

the all-male teams. It was a good test of the

relationship. We had the same mindset and

that is how we clicked. We like to push

ourselves, we did a 900km unsupported ride

across the Rockies a few years back called the

Colorado Trail Race, where you carry

everything and sleep next to the bike. We

love riding as it takes you to special places.

You were the first people to ride

mountain bikes to the top of Africa’s

highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.

Jeannie, tell us about that...

Martin had been up Kili as part of another

event and when I said I wanted to go climb

the biggest freestanding mountain in Africa,

he was keen. We love our bikes and we were

looking for more of a challenge, so we

decided to take our bikes along and then ride

down. It was physically hard, pushing the

bikes, especially the last part. We rode down

Text: Reuben van Niekerk