Gruelling cycle in the name of charity
Simon Rollo raised R7 000 for the SPCA by cycling this event
AFTER hearing of the financial plight of the Richards Bay SPCA, long-distance cyclist and Bay resident Simon Rollo chose to raise funds for the NPO by riding in The Munga long-distance cycling race.
Labelled ‘the toughest race on earth’, The Munga is a more than 1 000km mountain bike ride from Bloemfontein to Wellington in the Cape and must be done in five days.
‘Since I started long distance cycling I’ve wanted to do this race,’ said Simon.
‘It’s a huge challenge because of the time you’re given to complete the distance, but that’s what makes it all the more exciting.
‘I have always supported SPCAs and thought this race would be an ideal opportunity to cycle for a good cause.’
While participants are given five days in which to complete The Munga, Simon aimed to finish it in four days, but ended up crossing the finish line after just three and finished 16th overall.
‘We cycled in 45 degree heat on all three days, with a hot headwind, so the race was incredibly difficult and I was ecstatic when I beat my estimated finishing time by 17 hours.’
After succeeding in obtaining sponsorship from clients, at the end of the race Simon was able to hand over about R7 000 to Richards Bay SPCA.
‘There were times during the race when I wanted to give up, simply because of the weather conditions, but knowing I was cycling to raise funds for the SPCA is what kept me going.
‘I would have liked to have raised more money but, by the time I learnt of the SPCA’s dire financial situation, there was not much time before the start of the race, so I did what I could,’ said Simon.
Next year Simon will cross another race off his bucket list when he competes in the Cape Epic in March.
‘We are incredibly grateful to Simon and his sponsors for his generous donation to the SPCA, and the fact that he completed such a gruelling endurance race makes it all the more special,’ said Richards Bay SPCA Chairperson Sarel Small.
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