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Dynamic duo wins 2014 Ranger Odyssey

• Winners of 2014 Ranger Odyssey
• 12-day event in Namibia’s Kaokoland
• Odyssey-spec Ranger each for a year

PRETORIA – After a grueling 12 day off-road adventure, Ford announced Johan Retters and Oan de Waal as the winners of its 2014 Ranger Odyssey.

The announcement was made at an awards event held at De Rust Outdoor near Hartbeespoort Dam, the start of the Ranger Odyssey boot camp in August 2014.

According to Ford, each will drive an Odyssey-spec Ranger for a year along with R5000 worth of fuel each month.

'TOUGH TEST OF MAN AND MACHINE'

Retters and De Waal were united during the team selection at the start of the main event on September 7 in Kamanjab, Namibia. The duo competed together over the ensuing 12 days, on the tough 2500km route and through numerous special tasks to take the overall victory.

IMAGE GALLERY: 2014 Ford Ranger Odyssey limited edition

Ford’s vice-president sales, marketing and service Mark Kaufman said: "Ranger Odyssey 2014 was a tough test of both man and machine.

“The rugged Kaokoland pushed everyone to their limits, but Johan (Retters) and Oan (de Waal) excelled throughout the event and are deserving winners. They are great ambassadors for the Ranger and truly embody the Odyssey’s spirit of adventure due to their active outdoor lifestyles.”

Retters (41) from Limpopo is an avid outdoor enthusiast, regularly venturing off the beaten track on 4x4 trips, as well as riding motorcycles and quads. Team mate de Waal is a 23-year-old adventure athlete from Pretoria, specialising in obstacle course racing, both locally and internationally.

EPIC JOURNEY

During the Ranger Odyssey expedition, 20 contestants, divided into 10 teams, were scored daily by the instructors on driving techniques, camp craft, team work, vehicle maintenance and technical knowledge on the Ford Ranger as well as general knowledge on the areas visited. Several special tasks were also staged during the trip including winching and vehicle recovery exercises.

The route for the 2014 event focused on the Kaokoland region in the far north-western corner of Namibia, renowned for its remote and extremely challenging 4x4 trails.

Along with the treacherous Van Zyl’s Pass, the 14-vehicle convoy followed the Kunene River that forms the border between Namibia and Angola, traversed the Zebra and Baynes Mountains, and snaked along the Khumib, Hoarusib and Hoanib River bed 4x4 trails.

The driving challenges and scenery in this remote and largely unspoiled corner of Namibia were simply spectacular, making the Ranger Odyssey a true life-changing experience for all of the contestants.
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