Cricket stars final team to finish 200km challenge
Fun seemed to be a common theme mentioned by all three participants.
On October 13, Team Cricket was the last team to successfully complete the 200km BrightRock Battle of the Sports Challenge having managed to circumnavigate the unforgiving Verneukpan in the heart of the Northern Cape.
The BrightRock Battle of the Sports Challenge has already tested the mettle of Team Rugby, Team Athletics and Team Soccer.
It is anyone’s guess who will have completed the challenge in the fastest time and have ultimate bragging rights.
“Team cricket has made an exceptional finish,” says a tired expedition leader, Erik Vermeulen, who has now done the same challenge four times.
“The team spirit has been absolutely phenomenal and I was blown away by the support these guys showed their team mates and myself. When we first started Makhaya Ntini said, ‘we are not necessarily in it to win it, but rather here to do it’ and that is exactly what they have done,” he says.
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Commenting on his time in the pan, Ntini says next to Mount Kilimanjaro, this is by far the hardest thing he has ever done.
“It tested our patience, our pain thresholds and really gave us an opportunity to think about what positive changes we want to make in our lives going forward.”
Fun seemed to be a common theme mentioned by all three participants.
“Yes it was tough,” says Lance Klusener.
“We. however, never forgot to have fun. Having trained correctly also helped. Erik advised us to spend as much time on our feet as possible and this really allowed us to make smarter decisions. The most difficult part was just after the 90km mark where we encountered a lot of wind, we were dead tired and had to navigate both the cart (affectionately nicknamed Shimmy) and the corrugations in the road.
“We ended up just pushing through to get ahead of the clock and the fact that we all jelled so well really helped,” he says.
Monde Zondeki, the youngest participant of the three, says he felt relief, joy and pride to cross the finish line.
“Right from the start I always said I wasn’t sure what to expect so I started with some misgivings. Besides the really cold temperatures at night, we managed the rest quite well and our goal was always to try and beat Team Rugby,” says Zondeki.
With 800km under his belt, Vermeulen says the pan has challenged each of these teams in different ways and mental fatigue and sleep deprivation have been two big factors to date.
“When you are used to spending 90 minutes or six to seven hours on the road in the case of the runners, walking 200km is a completely different experience. These are all world-class athletes but the experience has challenged even the toughest of these athletes, including myself, particularly on this last challenge,” he says.
Reflecting on the biggest take outs of the event so far, Vermeulen says two things stand out.
“Firstly, all of us have immense potential within us, as clearly demonstrated by all four teams. Secondly, when you commit to something for a cause much bigger than yourself, you push yourself further. This challenge has been about doing your best and finding a reason to push beyond yourself.”
Everyone involved in the challenge jumped at the chance to do something positive.
Events to Aid CEO and founder of the event Clive Grinaker said:
“When we first conceptualised the project we wanted something that would inspire South Africans and what better way than through their sporting heroes?
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“If they could sacrifice so much on the pan, our plea was for the country to support the challenge with a small donation. So many vulnerable communities are still reeling from the effects of Covid-19, particularly our old people, our orphans and our children in vulnerable urban and rural communities.
“These are the communities we are supporting,” says Grinaker.
All funds raised for the BrightRock Battle of the Sports by NPO Events to Aid will be used to effect positive change by helping raise money for vulnerable communities most hard hit by Covid-19.
The entire programme will be managed exclusively by the highly respected, independent and leading Covid-19-orientated NGO called Right to Care (www.righttocare.org), which was founded over 19 years ago and is still headed up by Professor Ian Sanne, one of the country’s most prominent infectious diseases doctors.
Grinaker says two big donations have already been given to Thembalami Care Cente and the Itlhokomeleng Association for the Aged and Disabled in Alexandra.
The times of each of the teams competing were revealed this past weekend (October 16).
HOW TO GET INVOLVED?
Support your sports teams who are doing the Verneukpan 200km challenge by donating and go to www.battleofthesports.co.za to support the team of your choice. Use the hashtag #battleofthesportschallenge #lovechange when posting.
Social Media Platforms:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BattleOfTheSports/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BattleOTSports
Instagram: https://instagram.com/battleofthesportssa/
Challenge as many of your friends, schools, clubs, corporates as possible to support this worthy cause by tagging them.
