Building Strength at Ironman 70.3 Durban

At GVK-Siya Zama, our foundation is built on our people. We build employees who represent our values, not only within the company, but also in everything that they do. As such, we have managed to establish and maintain a culture of continuously building strength throughout the organisation over the years.

An example of this is Greg Saharin, Quantity Surveyor at GVK-Siya Zama in Cape Town, who tapped into his core values when he crossed the finish line at the Ironman 70.3 in Durban on 2 July 2019. The race comprises three disciplines: a 1.9km swim at uShaka Beach, followed by a 90 km cycle and, finally, a half marathon (21.1km) run.

When Greg signed up for the race, he shared the exciting news of participating in this unforgettable race with his colleagues at work. “Although racing triathlon is an individual sport, everything leading up to the race relies on the support of a connected team, who in my case, included my sporting colleagues at work,” he said. “Once I had entered the race, I was committed to finishing it, especially since my team at work were now rooting for me. They say that making a goal public is one of the ways you can hold yourself accountable to achieving success – it’s about demonstrating integrity and doing what you say you will do.”

Greg explains that the support of his colleagues and family encouraged him to keep going until the finish line. Greg says that outside of work, the company culture and values also matter a great deal to him. In particular, it is ‘excellence in everything we do’ as well as ‘working and winning in teams’, that really motivate him in his sporting endeavours.

“Ironman 70.3 is a tough race and is about much more than one’s natural ability, it takes gruelling preparation and self-belief,” he adds. “The ability to persevere as well as how hard you are willing to push yourself can motivate you against quitting when something gets extremely uncomfortable. This leads to attaining excellence.”

“At GVK-Siya Zama we’re fortunate to have multi-talented employees who compete across a variety of sports, they inspire me with their accomplishments and this encouraged me to take part in the Ironman 70.3. An important part of this camaraderie is sharing our successes and helping others to reach their goals. I’m so grateful to my colleagues for their advice, cheering words and most of all, their unwavering belief in me,” he explained.

We build strength by pushing the boundaries, supporting one another and going above and beyond to achieve the remarkable, Greg concludes.