It was rainy, cloudy and it was Friday the 13th, but that didn’t stop thousands of men and boys from taking part in the 10th Hollard Daredevil Run.
It was as always, a festive atmosphere and the participants, young and old, came in all shapes and sizes. Apart from their official Daredevil speedos the guys wore; wigs, dresses, tutus, face-masks, hats and some covered themselves in coloured paint. Fun and pageantry aside the main focus of the Hollard Daredevil Run is always to promote awareness around male cancers.
Entrance donations go to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. CANSA funds the Hollard MANVan – a compact mobile clinic that can access far off venues to provide education, awareness and PSA blood tests to screen for the possible presence of prostate cancer. The MANVan was present on the day so the guys could get themselves tested.
For the 10th Installment of the Hollard Daredevil Run special speedo’s with a gold logo and motivational slogans printed in gold on their backside courtesy of Hollard: Heita, Holla, Testa Mjita; Ek is Man Genoeg and Run Cancer Outta Town to name a few.
It’s no mean feat coordinating a 5km run in the middle of Friday afternoon Johannesburg traffic. There could be easier times to stage an event, but there is method behind their madness, as Nikki Belford, Hollard Group Sponsorship Manager, put it
“These guys are running through afternoon traffic in purple speedos, they are going to be noticed.”
And indeed the guys were noticed, drawing hoots and whistles from hundreds of metropolitan commuters taking in all their packages wrapped in purple.
The starting point of this year’s run was Zoo Lake. The guys gathered and registered, picking up their race pack with their speedo’s and official golden wrist band without which they would be pulled off the course.
With funky beats, announcements and motivation Kaya FM 95.9 maintained a festive atmosphere throughout the afternoon. To further add to the jovial atmosphere the guys could pick up some beers in the middle and the end of the run.
Everyone completed the run at their own pace, with the first guys cruising through the finish within what seemed like mere minutes. No matter when, or how, you came through the finish line, each participant was met with the awesome support they deserved from the other Daredevils and the crowd of supporters that had gathered. There was dancing chanting, singing and laughter.
The message behind the Hollard Daredevil Run is clear – learn all you can about prostate cancer, testicular cancer and other male cancer’s tell your friends and male relatives about it, and, perhaps most importantly, perform self-exams on your testes, get your PSA levels screened, and let a professional medical doctor check that prostate.
Testicular Cancer
Unfortunately, males between the ages of 15 and 35 are at the most risk for testicular cancer, and many of us don’t perform self-examinations on a regular basis. It’s pretty straightforward: after a warm shower, gently role each testis between the thumb and forefinger, feeling for any lumps, nodes and swelling.
Also keep out an eye for other symptoms, including pain in the testes and lower abdomen, a sensation often described as “heaviness” in the scrotum, changes in the voice and facial and body hair of young boys, and enlarged breast tissue.
If detected early, testicular cancer has a brilliant post-diagnosis 5 year survival rate. In short, there’s a very definite wisdom in having boys and men play with their crown jewels.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer has an incidence rate that could be much higher than one may expect. In South Africa, between 1 in 4-6 black African men and 1 in 8-9 white men, will have prostate cancer in their lifetime.
Prostate cancer also has an incredibly encouraging post-diagnosis 5 year survival rate if caught early. As with all cancers, however, if the disease metastasizes and reaches distant parts of the body at the time of diagnosis, the outlook becomes increasingly troubling.
In the early stages of prostate cancer, there may be no presentation of any symptoms at all, which is why screening is so vital.
The South African Prostate Cancer Guidelines recommend that:
Black South African men and men with a positive family history of breast or prostate cancer consider screening from the age of 40 (this is because Black men have a larger lifetime risk of contracting prostate cancer). Men from all other ethnic groups should consider screening from the age of 45.
Screening should include a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a Digital Rectal Examination if the PSA test comes back on the high side.
If you would like to know more facts about male cancer’s click here.
Cancer awareness is active. Whether you are trying to teach others or trying to learn from those in the know. Be active about your health. If you couldn’t make it to the run go get yourself tested, especially if you are in the affected age grouping and if you have a family history of cancer.
We are all on our own journey, but what is true for all of us is that the present can change the future. Secure your future now.
A big thanks and congratulations are due to all those who took part, the organizers and sponsors. We will see you next year for the 2021 Hollard Daredevil Run.
.
