British Military Fitness, or BMF as it is referred to by thousands of dedicated followers in the UK and locally, was established in England over 11 years ago by Major Robin Cope, who wanted to use his experience in army training to positively influence British men and women to get out of smelly, oxygen-deprived gyms and into the country’s beautiful parks. Once Cape Town native, Ben Blumenthal, heard about this programme he was quick to see the possibilities for BMF in South Africa. He received training in the UK and returned to start up BMF in Cape Town in 2007. Since then the programme has grown extensively with sessions in a number of parks across Cape Town, and a Johannesburg branch having opened last year. Although currently only running in Johannesburg at the James and Ethel Grey Park in Melrose, the offices are flooded with emails to branch out across Joburg and Pretoria, so expansion is in the works.

The essential element that makes BMF hard work without being tedious is the motivational instructors, who are required to be previously trained in fitness and be friendly and approachable. “A sense of humour goes a long way in BMF, after all if you can’t enjoy training, what are you doing it for?” says MD, Ben Blumenthal. “We are proud to have created an environment where our members look forward to class at the end of a long day – this is where we differ most from a gym, one tries to get in and out of a gym as quickly as possible.”

I can safely say I didn’t want to stick around long after my first session of BMF. Aching muscles and a flush red face were motivation enough to hurry home to shower and flop onto the couch. By some miracle the park where sessions take place in Joburg is a two-minute drive from my house, yet changing gears was still a challenge since my fitness regime fell to the wayside shortly before the festive season (never mind the drive to work the next day!).

To my own surprise I was keen to get back on the proverbial horse for the next session two days later. For a newbie like myself I think it’s pure genius that sessions are spaced out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays to give beginners a chance to recover. I didn’t think cardio could ever be fun, but BMF has different levels (novice, intermediate, advanced) so you always have the goal of getting to the next level while still being surrounded by fellow comrades of a similar fitness capability so you don’t have to feel like you are keeping anyone back while you are finding your place.

Although the boot camp style of the programme is ideal for people training for marathons, hikes or short-term weight loss goals, many of the attendees use it as their main method of exercise and say that after years of attending classes they still don’t get bored, as classes are never exactly the same. BMF really is for anybody, start out slow and be kind to your body and within a few short weeks you will notice a difference in endurance, the tone of your body and your breathing, says Ben. “I recommend BMF to people who want to feel more in touch with their bodies and minds and who want to enjoy exercise again (when did exercise become a dirty word?).”

Interested in giving BMF a try? Visit www.britmilfit.co.za for more information. Call Ben, 071 292 8615, to find your nearest Cape Town class or Jono, 082 389 5479, for Johannesburg enquiries.

His job was to keep me steady while the pilot got the paraglider airborne and under control. Fortunately, I’d been warned about what would happen next and was jerked violently backwards as the glider got off the ground. “Keep looking at me,” urged the assistant as he tried to steady me against the glider’s pull. “Whatever you do, don’t fall down on the take-off!”

Then came the command, “Run!” I ran as if all the bulls of Pamplona were on my heels, but soon, and surprisingly smoothly, there was nothing left to run on and we were flying!

As the passenger on a tandem paraglide, you start off in a standing position with your harness firmly attached to the pilot behind you. Once airborne, though, you shift back into a comfortable seat-like harness for the rest of the ride. The contrast was incredible: from the hectic frenzy of the take-off to the quiet calm of flying. There’s not much sound up there and at one point we were gliding at the same level as a kestrel hovering in search of prey on the ground below.

I was the guest of Cape Xtreme and Stephan Kruger’s company, Cape Town Tandem Paragliding. We had taken off from Signal Hill and were now flying a few hundred feet above the hill, taking in the most spectacular view of the city and its grand new stadium. Fortunately, I was in the safe hands of Stephan himself who has been flying for five years but, as he puts it, “I am a parajunkie and have done the same amount of flying that most people would do in about 10 years!” Stephan runs a successful paragliding business which, in season, has seen him take up to 11 flights and the company up to 40 in a day.

We spent about half an hour floating around the windward side of Signal Hill. Apparently, going over to the other side of the hill would not be a good idea as the wind rolling over the hill causes a lot of “trashy air” – “bad news” for paragliders – and we would probably crash. I was happy to stay on our side of the hill!

The flight was exhilarating. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with a fear of heights, but once you have faith in the equipment and can relax, it’s an awesome experience. Ending off my flight, Stephan showed remarkable control of the glider as he steered us to a soft landing on exactly the spot from where we had taken off.

Paragliding is not a cheap sport. A tandem ride will set you back R950. Should the bug bite and you decide to become a pilot yourself, you’d be looking at a basic licence course with a price tag of R7 500. Kitting yourself out with a new glider would cost you R40 000, although second-hand you could get away with as little as R10 000.

Want to go flying? Call these guys:

CapeXtreme Adventure Tours

Tel: (021) 422 4198

Email: info@cape-xtreme.com

web: www.cape-xtreme.com

As it swims towards me, I could swear it’s looking straight at me, before it turns suddenly and makes a lunge for the fishhead bait, opening its jaws and flashing rows of razor sharp teeth. And I don’t think the shark’s mood is improving, as the bait is hauled out of reach every time it gets too close.

Okay, admittedly I was in a cage attached to a sizable boat, but when you get up close and personal with a fish this big and toothy, you start to question just how strong the bars really are. What if this shark’s dad arrives – possibly twice his size? What if a seven-metre monster shows up? How safe is this flimsy cage going to be then? Perhaps I’ve been in for long enough – I’ll give someone else a turn now.

I was the guest of Cape Xtreme and their partners Ecoventures on their boat the Megalodon II. (We were warned not to ask what had happened to Megalodon I!). Robert Cope, our tour leader and shark guru for the day, was extremely helpful and a fount of knowledge about these fantastic beasts. The beast in question? Carcharodon carcharias, commonly know as the Great White, or if you’re trying to play down the terror aspect, just the White shark.

We’d been warned that it was possible we’d see nothing but seagulls and seals, so we prepared ourselves for at best a long wait for the sharks to arrive. No sooner had we dropped anchor though, than a huge shark was already circling the boat, probably wondering how to have us for lunch. Immediately there was a race to see who could get into a wetsuit first and into the cage. It was actually remarkable the complacency with which everyone approached the presence of this massive predator. I couldn’t help but think that the edge of the boat was dangerously close to the water. This fact was no deterrent, however, to the row of hungover backpackers who lined the side of the boat, doing their own chumming into the sea!

There is something surreal about hovering beneath the water in the cage, viewing these awesome creatures passing by in menacing silence. Knowing you are safe but at the same time realising that you are in the shark’s territory, on his turf. There’s an undeniable and visceral fear. According to Rob Cope, the sharks that frequent the cage diving operations are not in hunting mode, which explains their relatively calm demeanour. The smell that has attracted them is that of dead fish and they are scavenging for ocean carrion. But, as any Airjaws fan will tell you, these creatures like to kill in style!

We were fortunate enough to be visited by three sharks on this trip, all with their own specific characters and markings. I commented on a particularly scarred shark and Rob said that the wounds could have been the work of seals. Amazingly, especially when the water is clear, a group of seals will harry the much bigger shark, not unlike smaller birds will harry a larger bird of prey. It is a fantastic thrill and a great privilege to see these majestic fish in their natural environment. Hunted almost to extinction at one point, but now a protected species, the Great White shark rules supreme in its kingdom. Long may it continue to do so.

Interested in a shark cage diving experience? Here’s who to call:

 CapeXtreme Adventure Tours Tel:   02…

 Email: info@cape-xtreme.com

web: www.cape-xtreme.com