With recent news indicating a possible reintroduction of National Service in South Africa, another polarising subject has no doubt been added to dinner table conversations.
Whether one is for or against conscription, perhaps the underlying point is our fractured past, where National Service was - and still is - viewed by many in an unfavourable light due to the politics of the day. A waste of year some might say, or let's leave our militarised culture in the past others might add; whatever your view on military service, there are those who do feel that it can be of benefit to modern day society.
Then there are those who believe that National Service "back in the day" was actually of benefit to them in terms of personal growth. One such individual is David Hyam (pictured above, right), whose career trajectory could be described interesting, or even circuitous.
"Back in 1991 in my final year of high school, I was unsure of what I wanted to study or what sort of career to pursue," explains Hyam. "With that year being the final mandatory conscription, I was actually delighted to get a call-up to the South African Navy down in the Western Cape."
Born and bred in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, the then eighteen year old Hyam was already immersed in the sport of triathlon and saw this move as an opportunity to grow and develop as a person, while honing his athletic skills in a controlled and Spartan environment.
"Basic training was held at Saldanha Bay, which actually felt a little bit like home given my competing at the SA Triathlon Championships in nearby Langebaan the previous two years. That venue was famous in local triathlon circles and was effectively across the bay from our base."
After six weeks of intensive training, Hyam was selected for the Permanent Force - or "PF" as it was affectionately known - and invited to form part of an elite group of recruits to tackle an even more intensive form of growth: Officer's Course.
"This involved ten months of physically and mentally taxing instruction, ironically at Gordon's Bay, another triathlon venue close to my heart."
After graduating from the Naval College as an Ensign, Hyam was posted to the SAS Protea, the Navy's survey vessel operating from the port of Simon's Town. These were times that Hyam cherishes, and as anybody who has served in the military will attest, memories for life.
"Being commissioned as an Ensign on this elite vessel was a rare privilege and something that I will treasure forever," says Hyam, who goes on to add that his competitive desires were stoked during his time serving aboard the "Pro."
"During this time, my closest friend, the late Cameron Jones, made the first ever South African National Triathlon Team to compete at the ITU World Championships in Canada. This ignited a flame inside of me and my sole focus from that point on was to make the team for 1993."
Gaining selection to the Manchester World Championships that year, Hyam achieved his goal and - perhaps unknowingly - launched a career path as an international triathlete, something he pursued for close on a decade.
Now part of the international eyewear giant Luxottica International, the well-travelled Hyam is currently moving base to Milan after working out of Oakley's EMEA Headquarters in Zurich for the past six years. A world away from the windswept dunes of South Africa's West Coast indeed, but the memories of his time in "The Mag" are with him forever.
"I had never really been away from home during high school," says Hyam whilst waiting for a train to his new home base in the Italian capital. "I just saw National Service as the ideal opportunity to grow up and develop from an individual standpoint.
"The grounding I received in the Navy set me up for later life, first as a pro triathlete and then pursuing a career in international sports marketing.
"And I'm really thankful for that."
Note: Header image courtesy of Shawn Benjamin and Ark Images.
