18/05/2026
"Hi, I’m Brandon Como.
I joined STS five years ago after moving from Joburg. I was looking for a fitness community. At the time, I couldn’t swim. I initially joined simply to stay fit and to challenge myself with something new after spending a number of years doing CrossFit in a fantastic community in Fourways.
To be honest, I was afraid to join.
From day one, the community, especially the coaches, was incredibly supportive. They didn’t just train me; they taught me how to swim at age 35 and, more importantly, how to believe that I could.
One moment that really sums up the early days was at a 06:00 swim session. Cobus placed me in the middle of the pool and said, “Swim.” That 25m felt like a 50m Olympic pool. I only made it halfway before he realised he had slightly overestimated my swimming abilities and had to get me out.
Fast forward to 2025: I completed my first sprint race at Blue Lagoon, which was a major milestone for me. Later that year, at the Cape Town event, I entered the Olympic distance but withdrew on the day and opted for the sprint instead, where I ended with a DNF. That moment, more than any other, forced me to confront the psychological side of the sport.
Then came R2H 2026. I entered my first Olympic-distance race again, but this time something had changed. I trusted my training. I also had the support of the community I trained with a fun group of older STS members and friends known as the “Weekend Warriors”. I even made a friendly bet with my friend Bruce, which became serious on race day, that whoever lost would pay for the other’s race entry fee.
Where I thought I had lost a supportive community when I left CrossFit, I found an even better one back home in Stellenbosch.
The support from the STS community became my superpower. It kept me motivated and grounded. I backed the hours, the coaching, and the preparation. I finished the race and, in doing so, overcame my biggest obstacle: the swim. More than that, I actually enjoyed it.
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