UK athlete gives his all for HACT

MATT Luff is set to complete more than 1 600km of training for the world’s largest ultra-marathon, the Comrades Marathon, which takes place on 31 May. The 33-year-old father of three from Oxford in the UK will compete in the 90km race to raise money for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT).

Located along the marathon route, HACT’s mission is to provide unconditional love and hope to HIV/Aids-impacted communities in the Valley of 1 000 Hills region, addressing prevention, care, community empowerment and income generation.

The Valley of 1 000 Hills area has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, with many orphaned children and widespread challenges of poverty, unemployment, drug and alcohol addiction. It is estimated that between 40 and 60 per cent of the population in some communities are living with HIV.

Matt is a member of the UK Comrades team and a dedicated marathon competitor. With two consecutive Comrades races already under his belt, he has run 32 marathons to date, 13 of which have been ultra-marathons.

“I love the spirit of Comrades – there’s nothing else like it. That’s why I’ve kept coming back,” said Matt. “This year the race will be tougher as it’s an uphill run. Thankfully, my wife and children fully support my efforts, which is vital as I have to run six days a week for training. They are very proud of my achievements,” he said.

The first time Matt heard about the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust was when he went to a talk at his local church by Bekky Stredwick, a volunteer from the UK who recently joined the HACT team and will spend the next three years serving in the marketing and fundraising department.

“When I heard Bekky speak, I realised I’ve gained so much from the region where the race takes place but was unaware of the scale of challenges that exist on the doorstep, including HIV/Aids . So I was really keen to be able to give back in some way,” said Matt. “The money will go towards HACT’s projects such as the Respite Unit, life skills education, community gardens and support groups for grannies and children.”

Olivia Myeza, CEO of HACT, said the organisation was delighted to have a Comrades runner dedicating his race to the fight against HIV/Aids. “International support and competitions like the Comrades can help to further our mission to reduce stigma and raise awareness about HIV/Aids,” she said.

“We are living in a province where just over one in three people are HIV-positive, so we still have a long way to go in terms of preventing new infections and keeping people living with HIV alive and well for as long as possible. We are so grateful that Matt has chosen to use this opportunity to raise funds and awareness for Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust.”

Matt has been running since he was at school when he was a keen cross country team member, and he isn’t the only one in his family who loves to run. His father is running the Comrades for the second time this year, and his brother ran it last year too.

If you wish to support HACT via Matt’s participation in the Comrades, you can donate via https://my.give.net/comrades4hillcrest.

You can follow Matt’s progress via his Facebook page, Comrades4Hillcrest.