Matty Naus ( Democratic Republic of the Congo )
There is a common saying in life that says “ everything happens for a reason ” and if you combine that with the Cows motto of “ Love Living Life ”, which every Cow believes in , life can be an amazing journey and you ’ ll never know where you might end up .
After selling his shares in his coffee shop , Matty headed to the DRC Congo to help implement a system in the Congo for a new Copper mine – soon to be the biggest copper mine in the world . The mine is situated outside of a town called Kolwezi , a 45min bus ride into the jungle , on the South side of Congo , closer to the Zambian border .
As a contractor he is onsite for 6 weeks and at home for 2 weeks rest .
Matty takes over the story from here : Yes , there are a lot of stories about Congo and the dangers in the country with rebels etc . These are mostly true , but fortunately here it ’ s very safe and the communities are friendly and loving . The mine built a campsite for employees where we live in semi-luxury tents . Senior management get small prefab rooms . It gets super-hot and humid in the jungle so during the day we try spend as little time in the tents as possible .
The CEO of the mine , an avid cyclist , arranged for a few containers of mountain bikes to be sent to site for the employees ’ weekend cycling . To be eligible to receive a bike , employees has to show Strava credentials . Suddenly a cycling community on the mine was born . There are amazing single
tracks through the jungle and local villages which the locals use as foot paths .
Most expats are South Africans . When I arrived , news spread quickly about me cycling with the greatest of all teams “ The Apocalypse Cows ”. I was invited for a cycle by the strongest riders and arrived wearing my tekkies on a borrowed bike . I rode for my life on a 32-tooth against the upgraded 36-tooth cranksets . Thankfully I proved my worth as a cyclist .
I was soon part of the team inventing Strava segments and making my way to the top for on-site bragging rights I set the pace upfront , remembering what the ACs taught me . I held the AC ’ s name up high and now help other riders where I can .
Our highlight is once a month , on a Sunday , all the cyclists get a bunch of support vehicles together with water and supplies . We ride next to a beautiful river , where we fish , braai and enjoy beers after our 100km + rides .
This is an amazing experience and a blessing to me that I can stay fit and train while away from home . The most heartwarming experience is when you cycle through the villages and kids come running out to cheer you along , sometimes even louder than the supporters at the 947 !!!! They built a club house in the camp called “ Die Viets Loots ” and after every ride we get together for beers and the sharing of stories about our rides . Riding my bike in the DRC constantly reminds me of our motto “ Love Living Life ”.
61