The gold medals of Ouplaas

Ouplaas is an exceptional farm in the Witzenberg Valley. More impressive is that many of the inhabitants are runners. No, not running away, but running to be better at what they do. Breaking records in all sorts of events. Maybe it’s something magical in their water. But they’re flyers. Gerrit Rautenbach tried to keep up…

It all started with Orla du Toit. She hailed from Namibia, where she first became the undefeated junior high-jump champion, among other athletic feats. As time went by and she moved on, she married and joined forces with Calla du Toit, today Hortgro Pome Chairman and Tru-Cape’s procurement manager and apple, pear and cherry grower (and a mountain biker, yes). They settled on Ouplaas just atop the Gydo Pass in the Witzenberg Valley.

Orla dedicated her time to the farm, helping to grow fruit of exceptional quality. But not all of her time. She made sure that there was enough time for training. For running. She is good at doing this. So good that in 2022 she won the Otter Challenge 42-kilometre women’s race in 6 hours and 40 minutes. Now let’s get some perspective here. That’s six hours we’re talking about here. At the same time, ordinary people take five days to hike this famous route of treacherous rocky coastline, including crossing the dangerous Bloukrans River through the Tsitsikamma Forest on South Africa’s Garden Route.

Apart from running and cycling, the Du Toits from Ouplaas are blessed with five fabulous kids. Josua, the oldest at 21, Liza (19), Helen (17), Orli (15) and Ben Herman (13). The thing is, the gene that runs in the family.

For instance, last year, Liza was Victrix Ludorum at Charlie Hofmeyr High School in Ceres. Competing and (mostly) winning in an array of events. Her most important event at school was the 800 metres, where she came third in the SA Schools last year, and she also ran in the 4 x 400, which they won.

In the middle of her final matric exams, she decided she needed something to clear her head. So, she opted for the Ultra Trail Cape Town (UTCT) Ex23, which features an elevation of over 1,000 metres. Her aim? To be one of the first 10 women across the finishing line. She achieved it in 3 hours and 8 minutes and happily went back to her books. She also completed the Tankwa Trail, Pass2Pass, the Maxi, and the Dryland Traverse, among many others. Many of these she wins, but sometimes settles for second place. Both Helen and Orli are avid runners, and Liza says both her brothers have natural fitness: Josua runs more for the fun of it, and Ben Herman takes after his dad and prefers cycling. Be that as it may, the whole bunch of them are always on the go.

Liza says that the longer she carried on doing long distances, the more she realised that, apart from the physical health benefits, it also helps you psychologically put your life in order and clear your clutter. Solvitur ambulando is a Latin phrase meaning “solve it by walking,” or taking action to overcome intellectual or theoretical difficulties. And it produces endorphins. It makes you happy.

In 2023, Jakob Volmoer became a production manager on Ouplaas. And yes, he is also a big-time runner. “In Morrisdale Primary in Ceres, I tried this running thing for the first time and realised I don’t like it, I love it. I was fortunate to have good coaches and some raw talent, apparently,” he will tell you. At the age of 17, he won the Boland provincial colours at school and at the Ceres Athletics Club.

He worked at InteliGro in Ceres from 2005, making time for as much training as possible. While there, he switched to Western Province Athletics to get better opportunities and exposure. That’s where he managed to qualify for the SA’s in the Masters Class for runners aged 35+. In September 2023, he moved to Ouplaas and, keeping his job on the farm his top priority, decided not to go to the SA’s in 2024. Yet, he never stopped running. “I will often do a 6km run a half hour before my job starts. Just to warm up for the day. Running makes me feel good.”

Ouplaas is quite a hilly farm, which is good for elevation training, but for speed work, he chooses the farm dam. It’s level, circular and long enough for him to do 400, 600, 800 and 1 000 metre speed sessions.

The fantastic thing is that he had no idea how good Orla is, or how extraordinary her achievements are as a runner and in the high jump. “I knew she loved running, but never knew she was such a pro,” he adds. It didn’t take long for them to start running together. As the crow flies, the town of Tulbagh is 16 kilometres over the Skurweberg from Ouplaas, with 300 metres up and then 800 down into town. Jakob, Orla, and Liza love popping over to Tulbagh and back on a Saturday morning. There must be some magic in the water of Ouplaas.

So after settling in as production manager in 2024, Jakob realised a big dream by attending the 2025  South African Athletics Championships, raking in an impressive six medals across a range of track and field events – three gold medals in the 1500, 3000 metre steeplechase, and high jump, two bronze medals in the 800 metre and long jump, and a silver in the 4 x 400 metre relay. He missed selection for the SA world championship team by a whisker. “But there is still next year,” says this man who knows he can.

Apart from the competitive side, Jakob will tell you how much running helps him to work on Ouplaas. For both, you need discipline, planning, motivation, and the ability to set goals and meet targets. You need space, equipment and time. “When I go for a jog, I often pick the orchards to see what still needs doing and if I need to talk to one of the workers. While running, I lose the stress, find answers and gain a new vision.” Solvitur ambulando, no doubt.

Should you ask the runners of Ouplaas what their secret is, the answer is simple. “Eat lots of apples and believe in yourself.”