A man and his bakkie

CN&CO’s Blake Dyason has brokered a sponsorship deal for Olympic rowing medallist Lawrence Brittain with Ford Hatfield. The deal grants Lawrence the use of a Ford Ranger Double Cab for a year, with the option to renew for another two years.

“Lawrence trains three times a day at Roodeplaat Dam, which is just 2km from CMH Ford Hatfield,” says Blake. “By parking a CMH Ford Hatfield branded vehicle at training, he acts as a mobile billboard for the car dealership in the community.”

Blake believes the relationship between Lawrence and Ford Hatfield is a perfect match.

“Lawrence has become a role model for South Africans, especially in the rowing fraternity,” he explains. “Rowing is one of those sports that brings families together, supporting from the water’s edge. Since rowing is costly, it can safely be assumed that rowing families have the financial ability to buy a new vehicle to support their lifestyle. This represents a potential target market for Ford Hatfield.”

Lawrence will also be doing some work with Ford Hatfield in the local community in the lead up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games.

“We see ourselves as very much part of the community of Pretoria East, and jumped at the opportunity to get involved with the Olympic rowing team,” says Craig Hawkins, new car manager at Ford Hatfield. “Lawrence Brittain has a very inspirational story to tell, having beaten cancer and then gone on to win a silver medal for South Africa at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

“We admire his grit and determination, as well as his passion to overcome something as severe as cancer to go on and achieve great things on a global level. Lawrence’s spirit and talent resonate really nicely with the Ford Hatfield brand.”

Lawrence will be participating in a number of speaking engagements in the community throughout the next 12 months, together with Ford Hatfield.

“Since winning the medal in Rio I have come to appreciate how much of a difference my story can make in many people’s lives,” he says. “It’s such a privilege to be able to share my journey, and show South Africans what a real Olympic medal looks like. They love it! And it gets great traction on social media, which is another big plus for our sponsors.

“Without the support we receive from Ford Hatfield, RMB, Powerhouse Trust and our other supporters, we would be dead in the water. And so, from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to send a big thank you to all our sponsors, and specifically to our newest sponsor, Ford Hatfield.”

Lawrence is currently in Lesotho for altitude training with the Ford Ranger Double Cab, which he says drove like a dream the whole way there.