2018 Hollard DareDevil Run launched
PARKTOWN – The Hollard DareDevil Run launch invites all men to participate in an event that may just be life changing.
The launch of the 2018 Hollard DareDevil Run, the ninth, took place at the Hollard offices in Parktown as part of the year’s campaign of tackling male cancer awareness.
South African men are known to have a 1 in 27-lifetime risk for prostate cancer as per statistics compiled by the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa).
Following the launch on 8 February, CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Andrew Oberholzer, said it was important for men to participate in events like the DareDevil Run. He added that although the disease mainly affects men over the age of 40, it is, however, important that men as young as 20 are educated around the disease.
“We think it’s great that the Hollard DareDevil Run starts educating men from their 20s so that by the time they get to their 40s, they’re aware of the screening tests they should be going for,” explained Oberholzer.
“We recommend that men from the age of 40 or above, if they’re black – more so since they tend to get it at a younger age and it also appears to be more aggressive among them as per the data that we’ve collected – or have an issue with breast or prostate cancer in a first-degree relative, start screening.
“Obviously the event provides a platform for when they should start screening for prostate cancer.” In conclusion, Oberholzer said there are no obvious symptoms of prostate cancer in its early stages.
“[The biggest challenge] we face with prostate cancer is that there are no symptoms in the early stages, which is why it’s so important for men to know about screening.”
Cansa also encourages all men to have regular screenings, which encompass enormous benefits in terms of reducing the cancer risk, early detection and subsequent treatment. “The DareDevil Run has had quite an impact, but more so in the central areas because the event is currently in major centres such as Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Pietermaritzburg,” said Michael Herbst, a health specialist at Cansa.
“If we could get more towns, perhaps even some of the smaller towns to join in with Hollard and arrange a DareDevil Run in their town, even though it’s small and you only have 10 or 15 participants, it’s a start and it can always grow from there.”
Share your experiences of participating in the DareDevil Run. How many events have you participated in? Send your email to tshepisom@caxton.co.za
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