The Land Rover's wheels are spinning like mad sending mud flying all over. There is a moment when it seems as if it might roll down the embankment. 

The engine keeps on roaring. Desperately spewing exhaust fumes. Then the wheels seem to take grip into the slippery mud. Slowly the Land Rover inches to the top affording the driver and his navigator a brief sigh of relief. The fun is, however, far from over. More obstacles await and with each there is a real chance of things going badly awry.

It does not faze the driver, Ben Erasmus.  He abides by a simple rule - if it scares you, you should do it. That is why he has taken a liking to Extreme 4x4 competitions as well as playing wheelchair rugby.

Erasmus's life was changed forever in a matter of seconds when a friend lost control of the vehicle he was driving. The accident which happened 11 years ago led to Erasmus being a quadriplegic. He was only 19 at the time. 

According to Erasmus, he was left with a simple choice. He could opt to feel sorry for the rest of his life, or he should make peace with what happened and try to make the most of his "new life". He chose the latter. 

As part of his rehabilitation, he got introduced to wheelchair rugby. He sort of took an immediate liking to the robust game. 

"At first I think it was the camaraderie that did it for me. Everyone who plays wheelchair rugby has a story about not giving up on life. It is nice to belong."

Erasmus ended up playing for the TuksRugbyWheelchair team. His aggressive approach, not minding to put his body on the line, has not gone unnoticed. He has already got two caps playing for South Africa's national team to his name.

One of the unfortunate consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic is that it had been nearly four months since he last had an opportunity to make or take a "hit" on the court.

A big part of wheelchair rugby is making tackles. It would seem the bigger the hit, the bigger the rush.  

"Going for the tackle is a way to vent our frustration and get rid of your 'bad' energy," explains the Tuks wheelchair rugby player.

Erasmus is equally passionate about cars, especially Land Rovers. He earns a living, restoring Land Rovers. It stands to good reason that Erasmus would want to know what they are capable of when being put to the test. That is why he has taken to compete in Extreme 4x4 events.

He is managing to hold his own against the able body drivers. On the day's everything goes according to plan, there is always a real chance of him being on the podium. A definite highlight was getting to win at Hekpoort. 

On occasions, his Tuks teammate, Okkie Anker, joins him as the navigator, but it is mostly the responsibility of his wife, Kirsten. 

"The rush." That is Erasmus answer when asked what enjoys about Extreme 4x4 competitions.

"No one race is ever the same. Every obstacle comes with its own unique challenge. If you are not the master of your vehicle, you are bound to come unstuck. In Extreme 4x4 competitions, it is all about limiting your mistakes."

The one thing Erasmus is quite proud of is that his Land Rover very seldom breaks down when he is competing.