Andrew Patterson – 365 Ubuntu Climbs to make a difference in South Africa

Andrew Patterson is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, retail optimisation specialist and mindset advisor that loves the outdoors and travelling. He is a great believer in pushing one’s boundaries to develop and grow to unearth our greatest potential. Nothing great was ever accomplished sitting on a couch. He believes in optimism and not ignoring what’s wrong – but instead understanding it and making decisions on what you can do about it.

Andrew – aka – the Renaissance Guy, is a man on a mission. Inspired by Cape Town’s remarkable beauty and the unfortunate circumstances many South Africans are born into, Andrew decided to dedicate 2018 to making a difference in the lives of others.

With his 365 Ubuntu Climbs initiative, Andrew is changing the world one vertical step at a time. He has pledged to summit Table Mountain every day in 2018 to raise R1 million for three organisations.

Andrew started his first climb at 4h33 on New Year’s Day, and to date (3 August 2018), has already climbed Table Mountain 215 times in 215 days, the equivalent of summiting Mt Everest 43 times, and raised more than R220 000 in the process.

The three organisations which will benefit from Andrew’s efforts are:

• Habitat for Humanity – to build homes for the disadvantage and fulfill their basic right to safety against the elements;
• One Heart For Kids – to teach children the value and importance of reading and writing to impact South Africa’s literacy rate positively;
• The Sunflower Fund – to create awareness around leukaemia in South Africa and to increase its blood donor registry.

Andrew is passionate about our country and believes we all have the power to make a difference if we work together.

Andrew’s advice for people planning to use sporting activities in support of a cause or organisation is to let go of expectations and be grateful for every cent you raise. Not everybody will understand your endeavors and that’s okay. It’s easy to get sucked into who’s not supporting you. Always focus on those that do support you, and by showing gratitude, you can reach your goals.

“In my quest to essentially climb a million stairs I’ve learned the value in tackling big challenges one day at a time, step by step. It also reminds me to tell people that when we give; it’s not about thinking of ourselves as a giant mountain, but rather the individual stair that contributes to making the mountain what it is. No matter how small a stair is – it still contributes to me getting to the summit and it’s the collective efforts of all that contributes to the whole. One of the reasons why ‘Ubuntu’ is in my names challenge.”

Looking ahead, Andrew is committed to continue supporting good causes, but for now his focus is solely on his daily climbs of Table Mountain to reach his goal of 365 by year-end.

“I’m extremely grateful for my physical strength and health. As long as I have that, I’ll always use it in any way I can to assist others. Right now, my focus is on completing my 365 summits of Table Mountain. Today’s climb is my next challenge”.

Click here to support Andrew’s fundraising efforts, and visit his website, and Facebook and Instagram pages to follow his activities.

This is the third Sport 4 Good profile of my 2018 #NGOs4Africa Campaign.