FINALLY!!!! The BIG run through the 3 provinces that I wanted to do back in 2020…
At long last in 2022 I managed to do the running expedition I originally wanted to do back in 2022… FINALLY!
I started my run on World Rhino Day, 22 September 2022. I ran from the Donkin Reserve in Gqeberha to and through the Eastern Cape game reserves (private and public), then via the exotic and rugged Wild Coast to KwaZulu Natal to and through their game reserves and then up to Mpumalanga to finish on the 19th of December 2022 at the Lebombo Border Post between South Africa and Mozambique outside the town of Komati Poort.
I will literally ran to and through 28 rhino bearing game reserves highlighting the plight of our rhino populations.
Part of this expedition was to lay foundations and start relations within conservation communities so we can follow up and assist communities with setting up conservation and/or tourism enterprises after the expedition is completed.
The finish at the Lebombo Border Post is significant as a lot of our poached rhino horn exits South Africa via this border post as it literally shares a fence with the Kruger National Park.
The total distance will was around 1881km and it took me 89 days to complete this expedition. I fell in love with my country and our beautiful people all over again, I learnt so much and had the most amazing chats with the most amazing people – from the young man who ran with me in his Crocs for 10km and telling me that he has dreams and aspirations of becoming a medical doctor after school to the dear old lady in a village on the Wild Coast who could not stop hugging me when we told her what I was doing to the old “Tata” (grandfather) who walked uphill with me in his Sunday suit clicking his tongue sympathetically upon hearing how far I’m running to the rangers and game reserve owners and managers to the kitchen staff… all simply incredible people.
Here’s hoping that I can venture into Africa from 2024 and beyond, continuing my quest to save our rhinos, and we know, when we save the rhinos, we save the people!