The Willard Batteries Athletic Club was formed in 1993 by a handful of Gelvandale locals, and later named the Gelvan Athletic Club.
A year after its formation, 12 athletes from the club registered for the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon held in Cape Town, and all finished the race.
The group quickly became the dominant road-running club, with at least three to five runners in the top 20, and winners in most age categories. By the end of the cross-country season, Gelvan Athletic Club was the frontrunner in the Prestige Cross Country League and Participation League races. Again, another dozen members were selected for the EPA Cross Country team that competed in Kimberley.
With a 71-person membership currently, which includes six technical officials and seven husband and wife teams, the club is stronger than ever.
Some athletes in the club have ventured beyond just road-running and have gone into triathlons like half and full Ironman, and most of the members support these athletes, making it more than just a club, but also a family.
One of the members, Desiree Titus, said that they are proud of how far they have come as a club.
“The secret to the longevity of our club, even though we changed names, is having passion, ability and sheer determination for the love of the sport. So when things go wrong, you hang in there looking for ways to make it work, because others are dependent on you making it work. Team work plays a major role in the success of our club.”
As a club in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha, the group of athletes are passionate about recruiting youth, to teach them life skills that will help avoid many negative temptations. With the oldest member being 83 years old, and the youngest 15, Titus stressed the importance of discipline.
“During 2012 our club adopted Gelvandale High School learners to participate in cross-country and road-running; however only one athlete remained as the others fell by the wayside. Hence, discipline is of the utmost importance when working with young athletes.”
Even so, they’re not about to give up the quest to have more young people join the club. As one can imagine, after 30 years the club has seen many milestones and celebrated many wins – and one of their proudest moments was when nine athletes first made the cross-country team in 1994, six athletes made the EP Half Marathon, three made the EP Marathon Squad, and seven made the EP 10km squad.
“As Gelvan Athletic Club, we have had athletes selected for EP Cross Country as well as the NMBM Half Marathon,” said Titus, proudly.
“To all our members who make our club so outstanding, we say a big thank you, because without you this club would not continue to exist. Also, to our sponsors who donate, whether big or small, we appreciate every little thing done for us to continue to grow our club,” she concluded.
