Champion of purposeful fatherhood completes 67km for children and Madiba

To set an example one leads from the front and always finishes what was started.

Patriarch of the importance of positive male role models, Sylvester Mashilo, pushed himself to the limits for the cause. Fronting the organisation which carries his name, the SylvesterMashilo Foundation held their annual Fatherhood Run at Ruimsig Stadium on July 15 and 16. With the Honeydew Community Policing Forum (CPF) on marshal duty, runners enjoyed either a 67, 21, 10, 5 or 2km run around the Ruimsig Stadium precinct and beyond.

Mashilo chose the biggest challenge and accompanied by his son Raymond Dube and Panorama Running Club chairperson, Andrew Morrison-Young, began their 67km run on Friday night. The trio left Ruimsig just after 21:00 and after leaving the stadium precinct, headed toward Peter Road, passed Zandspruit and through Cosmo City before making their way to Randburg. Heading toward the Johannesburg CBD, they went up Barry Hertzog Avenue, into Newtown and then through Brixton.

Still hitting the tarmac as they approached midnight, the three runners called it a night just after the 50km mark. Refusing to leave the job incomplete, Mashilo laced up his trainers on Saturday morning to pick up where he left off. As the stadium trails filled with runners for the shorter distances, Mashilo trudged the final kilometres to Ruimsig, receiving a CPF escort by chairperson Jon Rosenburg and PRO Michael Steyn. With his son and Morrison-Young by his side, Mashilo crossed the line just after 10:30.

The initiative is backed by the City of Johannesburg and Executive Mayor, Dr Mpho Phalatse, was in attendance and even participated in the 5km walk herself. Mashilo has known Mayor Phalatse since she was MMC for Health and the cause is something close to the doctor’s heart. “We must encourage men to step up and be role models in their community and to lead the young boys of our country. Strong men can help guide the youth of our city and nation,” said Mayor Phalatse.

Running mirrors fatherhood in that it is a test of endurance and mental stamina with rewards always on the horizon. “I have always loved running as a sport but I also know how it is a conversation starter. I would see when I run 42km marathons how I found a partnership with other runners as we go through the challenge of finishing together. We also need to find ways of engaging men in particular in a non-threatening way, and sport does that,” said Mashilo.

The SylvesterMashilo Foundation creates pathways for men to act as a role model in a child’s life by pairing them up in a mentorship programme. “As a founder of the SylvesterMashilo Foundation I can attest first hand what a wound this absence can cause. A father affirms a child in a way that only fathers can. There are children of course who turn out well without the presence of a father or father figure but we also have evidence of when this turns out horribly wrong,” added Mashilo.

Challenging men across South Africa to be positive forces in the lives of others, Mashilo said, “Men in general are part of the social system and their absence has destabilised the system. We have a culture where men have not left this world better than they found it and we have the moment and opportunity to make a positive impact on this country. It has to start somewhere and it can start with us to create a new generation of men with heart.”