Sure he has the Constantia mansion, the S class coupe and the trophy wife, but your company’s CEO couldn’t hang with you in a 100 metre dash, could he? Not with all those cigars and the good living paunch, surely?

But if your chief happens to be Sanlam Investment Management head honcho Johan van der Merwe, you might just want to rethink your answer. The kind of man you’d go to war with, van der Merwe will be leading from the front come 15 May when he takes one of his firm’s six teams through their paces in the global teambuilding SIM SA Challenge, and he is "quite determined not to be beaten at a challenge which not only bears our name, but which also has 30 of our own people competing."

Not to be outdone by their intrepid counterpart, chief executives Werner Horn (Southpaw Solutions), Greg Reis (BSG), Jane Durand (Venfin), and Jeremy Yatt (Fedhealth) will also be swapping their power suits for Powerade. Other notable businesses competing include Absa, Cadiz, Santam and Altron.

Honour to your corporate tribe

The three-day event, which forms part of the Intelligent World Sport Series underway on four continents, sees 33 corporate teams hammer out the miles, kayaking, cycling and running in the picturesque Breedekloof valley in the heart of the Boland. They won’t have time to admire the scenery though — the ‘Challenge’ is not a misnomer, a combination of intellectual, physical and practical obstacles designed to provide a stern test of any competitor’s mettle. At stake is entry into the world championships in Cyprus in December, where many of the world’s leading multinationals will have a presence. And of course, the satisfaction of bringing honour to your corporate tribe.

There are undeniable benefits to having a wealth of services and products in the field. Altech Netstar will be lending their tracking expertise to the event. With Guardian and Boomerang GPS technology, family, friends and colleagues will be able to track competitors’ progress 24/7 in real time online. The system also allows for a SOS facility. Coll Macdonald, MD of Challenger World SA, said Altech Netstar’s involvement in the challenge was “a classic example of how this event allows companies to integrate their products and services and add value to the event at the same time”.

Charity is central to the Challenger ethos with over £2 500 000 raised in corporate competition since 1990. This year, the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s hospital is the special beneficiary. Organisers hope to meet a R400 000 target with the help of sponsors and teams, who in turn will be egged on by the lure of meeting Corporate Social Responsibility objectives. The Hospital focuses on the medical needs of each patient, irrespective of parent’s income, race, gender, religion or place of residence.

Nicky Bishop, CEO of the Children’s Hospital Trust, said she was delighted to be affiliated with the event. “The Trust relies on the benevolence of the community at large to support our fundraising efforts and 100 percent of the proceeds from the SA Challenge will be used to purchase life-saving equipment for the new Operating Theatre Complex currently under construction. We are extremely grateful to the sponsors, event organisers and participants for joining us in ensuring that the Red Cross Children’s Hospital is always ready, 24/7 to care for our most vulnerable and precious citizens, our children.”

Seventy percent of teams entering do it to enhance teamwork and camaraderie within the workplace. Over and above the obvious fillips to fitness levels, the challenge offers a chance to hone and develop communication and leadership skills in a morale-boosting environment. Employee of the month just took on a whole new meaning.