Steve walks the talk for urban wildlife

WALKING 6km on the Durban promenade for charity seems like a cinch; however, throw in a diving suit from the 1900s which weighs 70kg in temperatures reaching 30 degrees and the task seems almost impossible. However, this was not the case for Durban North resident, Steven Entwistle, who recently completed a gruelling 10-hour walk from Blue Lagoon to uShaka Marine World and raised awareness and funds for Monkey Helpline.

In all, the 34-year-old raised R16 000 for the animal NPO. The former Royal Navy mine clearance diver described his charity walk as epic.

“It was an epic day. What was meant to take me six hours turned into a ten-hour mental and physical battle of determination. You know you train physically for something like this but it cannot prepare you for how tough it actually gets out there. I had blisters all over my body and I was chafing really badly on the day. It also became a battle of the mind, but there comes a point where you just dig in and find the strength deep down to battle on and keep going.

“It was an amazing feeling completing the challenge and I couldn’t have done this without the support of my wife, family and support team, who were keeping me hydrated and motivated throughout the walk. I’m incredibly lucky to have such a fantastic group behind me.”

Steven raised R3 000 on the day, R3 000 online and a further R10 000 was donated by an anonymous benefactor.

“I’d just like to thank all those who supported me on this gruelling walk. This is something I’m passionate about and I will be continue to raise as much awareness and funds about the plight our urban wildlife are facing,” he said.

Visit www.monkeyhelpline.co.za for more information.