Fifty-six years of pedalling     

Rustenburg – Hennie Fourie was 13 years old when his father bought him a bicycle. That gift fuelled a passion for cycling – a sport that has been a major focal point in Fourie’s life for the past 56 years and counting!  

 
Fourie, who was born in Randfontein, will be turning 70 in July 2022 and intends to continue taking part in as many races and Rustenburg Cycling Club (RCC) activities as he can.

A very competitive athlete, Fourie – who has so far also competed in 15 Comrades marathons and runs a mushroom delivery business – cycles at least twice a week and is one of the most dedicated members of the RCC.   

“I always joke by telling people ‘I was born on a bicycle’ because I really love cycling”, Fourie chuckled. “My dad influenced me to take up the sport when I was young because he was involved in track cycling, which was popular in those days,” he added. 

He attended Randfontein Primary School before proceeding with his education at Jan De Klerk High School after his parents had moved to Krugersdorp. It was at high school that Fourie’s cycling talent saw him winning provincial and national colours in track cycling. 

He joined the army after school and maintained his keen interest for cycling. Fourie, who moved to Rustenburg in 1989 together with his wife Penny, established the RCC with other enthusiastic cyclists. 

“It has now been about 13 years that the club has been running since we formed it. To me, the RCC has always been an important platform to encourage as many members of the community as possible to also take up cycling. I was chairman of the RCC for a long time and I am happy with the positive impact the RCC is having on the community,” Fourie said.

On 6 May 2017, Fourie was knocked down by a car while cycling. The motorist drove away from the accident scene soon after the incident.  

“I sustained serious injuries to my back, my neck, arms and knees,” he said. He jumped right back on his bicycle after recovering from his injuries but decided this time to concentrate more on shorter mountain bike races. 

Fourie is proud to have played a part in the career of Louis Meintjes – a world renowned South African cyclist who won the South African National Road Race Championships in 2014 and also boasts of an 8th place overall finish in the Tour de France. “I trained with him when he was younger. He is an honorary member of the RCC and we are all very proud of his achievements.”  

 
Fourie’s mushroom delivery business, which he runs with his wife, demonstrates his entrepreneurial skills. “We deliver mushrooms to various areas throughout the North West province,” he said. 

His primary passion, however, is still cycling and perhaps one will only come to full terms with how deep his love for the sport runs when one considers his large collection of bikes he collects and stores in his garage. “I am also a member of the Classics Steel and Aluminium Cycling Club,” said Fourie, while adjusting the same bicycle his father gave him.

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