National Lottery plc and the Malta Sports Journalists Association (MSJA) are pleased to announce that Team Gaudos won the second IZIBET Elite Athlete Award for 2025, covering the months of March and April.

Team Gaudos, made up of Stephen Grima and Brandon Sultana, is the first Maltese team to successfully complete the Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race, held in South Africa in March. Team Gaudos placed 266th overall out of 743 teams. Their total race time was of 38 hours, 7 minutes, and 10 seconds.

This eight-day competition pushes participants to their limits, covering 600 kilometres with a total elevation gain of 16,500 metres. The participants endured extreme weather conditions, including mountain temperatures reaching 51°C, torrential rain, strong winds, and muddy trails.

Stephen Grima received the coveted Cape Epic medal, becoming the first Maltese to be recognised as a Cape Epic Legend after previously completing the Andorra Epic and Swiss Epic.

Brandon Sultana earned his Cape Epic medal after also completing the Swiss Epic. He now looks forward to joining Grima as the second Maltese Epic Legend once he also completes another Epic race.

Franco de Gabriele, Chief Commercial Officer at National Lottery plc, commented: “We are proud to support and celebrate Team Gaudos for their exceptional achievement in one of the most demanding endurance events in the world. Their resilience, teamwork, and commitment embody the spirit of the IZIBET Elite Athlete Award. It’s an inspiration to see Maltese athletes breaking barriers on the global stage.”

Lorraine Cunningham, Malta Sports Journalists Association’s General Secretary said, “We are very proud that through this bimonthly honour we get to showcase athletes and sport that maybe are not established household names, and we get to do this thanks to National Lottery and their IZIBET brand. One cannot but admire and appreciate the determination and discipline of athletes competing in sport that not only challenges their body strength but also their mental wellbeing as well as the rigorous training and stamina needed to compete in such events. Still the fact remains that one can never be prepared enough for the harsh climatic elements faced which are not what we are used to locally.”

The IZIBET Elite Athlete Award recognises exceptional performances by local athletes and is awarded every two months.

A selection board composed of sports journalists and sports observers is responsible for evaluating the athlete’s achievements during the designated review periods, ensuring a fair and thorough assessment process.

In the meantime, the official website of the Malta Sports Journalists Association https://www.maltasportsjournalists.com/ provides the rules and regulations governing the award.

Photo caption: (From left)  Lorraine Cunningham (General Secretary of the Malta Sports Journalists Association), Stephen Grima and Brandon Sultana (Team Gaudos) and Clinton Buhagiar (President of the Malta Sports Journalists Association).