Cycling to spread the Word of God
Cyclist: It is important to spread His word to every person.
On 18 February Randfontein motorists witnessed an entourage of vehicles belonging to emergency services, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and Gauteng Traffic Department escorting about 21 cyclists past Uncle Harry’s on the R28.
These cyclists are partaking in the annual Arola Cycle Tour that will finish at the Bible Society in Bloemfontein. This is a 483km tour that started at the Mosaïek Church in Fairlands at 6am. When meeting up with these brave cyclists at Uncle Harry’s, the Herald was surprised that they were not out of breath.
Wimpie van der Merwe, 58, a Cape Town based road and track specialist, Springbok cyclist as well as former multiple world cycle champion and record holder also joined the team.
When asked how many tours or races he had completed, he laughed and said, “A thousand, maybe more, I don’t know. I have stopped counting.
We’ve had a good morning, the wind is in our favour and it is not so hot.”
Wimpie added he is partaking in this tour because the Word of God has helped him in even the smallest situations in his life. To him the Word of God is good news and it is important to spread His word to every person. It is very close to his heart. Wimpie also will be assisting other cyclist on this tour by giving them tips and advice, such as to keep taking fluids.
Lizette Driescher, Arola Tour spokesperson said, “Everything is going well, the traffic is a bit hectic but the riders are enjoying every minute.”
Christo Prins, Arola Tour organiser added, “We thank all the emergency services, ARS Medical Services, Florida Fire Department, JMPD, Gauteng Traffic Department and Advance rescue services for their help and support. We feel very safe.”
The first Arola Tour was 14 years ago to raise funds for Bible distribution. The route originally was between Parys and Boemfontein. Two years ago cyclists from the Mosaïek community decided to add an extra stage from Johannesburg to Parys, giving them the opportunity to join 100 riders from the other regions and ending the race with a ceremony at the Bible Society in Bloemfontein.
The vision of the Arola Tour is to sponsor 2 500 Bibles and to reach out to the community. They have plans for a much-needed upgrade of the recreation area at the Florida Fire Brigade include painting, vinyl floors, new furniture and catering supplies.
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Also read:
Arola Cycling tour coming through
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