Many South Africans are using their participation in sporting activities from running marathons to climbing mountains to raise awareness and funds for social causes and to make a difference in society. Supported by the reach and popularity of social media as well as crowdfunding platforms, these initiatives have the increased potential to influence meaningful change.... Continue Reading →
This blog covers the period from 6-12 August 2018. Only two weeks to go before the start of my next desert race, the 250km Fire and Ice Ultra in Iceland. It is almost spring in Johannesburg, but it is still fairly chilly in the mornings and evenings – a friendly reminder of the weather which... Continue Reading →
The Sunflower Fund is a blood donor recruitment centre and registry. It fights blood diseases like leukaemia through the recruitment of stem cell donors and maintaining a registry of potential donors committed to helping anyone in need of a life-saving stem cell transplant. South Africa, and Africa generally, has a very low number of registered... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
17 days to the start of the 2016 Grand to Grand Ultra … We all run for a reason. Some have the talent to win races and break records, while others aim to get fit or achieve personal milestones. Some also use their running, regardless of distance or speed, to support good causes, help those in... Continue Reading →
10 October 2016 The Atacama Crossing 2015 in Chile is done and dusted. I finished the 250km race in 40h24, in 26th position overall. The Atacama Crossing forms part of Racing the Planet’s 4 Desert Series, named by TIME magazine as one of the Top 10 Endurance Competitions in the world. Having already completed the other... Continue Reading →
9 October 2015 Greetings from Camp 6 at the end of stage 5 The Long March is done and dusted – 75km in 12hours. It was a long day in a very strong wind, mostly blowing straight in our faces. The terrain covered everything the Atacama has to offer – water/swamp within the first 5km,... Continue Reading →
7 October 2015 Greetings from Camp 5 at the end of Stage 4 Ryan and I are like Laurel and Hardy, without proper feet, but we are still in it and going strong. We finished the 44km stage in 7h50. It was hot and tough, but we kept going and are still in one piece... Continue Reading →
6 October 2015 Greetings from Camp 4 at the end of Stage 3. If yesterday was tough, today was just brutal. Ryan and I needed 7h35 to complete 39.9km. We passed 20km under 3 hours, but thereafter it was just a long slog over salt mushrooms, “crusty ploughed mud”, sandy plains, slate rocks, up and... Continue Reading →
5 October 2015 Greetings from Camp 3 at the end of Stage 2. A brutal day in the Atacama Desert. Ryan Hill and I took 7 hours to complete the 44km stage. But we finished joined 23/24thwhich is not too bad. The course was a mixed bag of everything the Atacama has to offer -... Continue Reading →
desert2desert4socialcauses.com 