MY GOAL
RUNNING
FOR THE DEAF
The idea for my informal Running Tours to Europe was born way back in 2010 when a running friend asked me to organise such a tour , “ so that we can also run overseas .” I agreed , but parked the idea until 2012 , and only then started to look into the possibility . That resulted in 14 running mates setting off to Spain and Portugal for two weekends , two countries and two races . It was an experience of a lifetime for all of us , and the beginning of an incredible fundraising initiative ! – BY NATALE ROELOFSE
Bettie , Marianne and Eva in tour action
At the airport in Barcelona , on our way back from that first tour , another friend asked me matter of factly , “ So where are we going next year , Ouboet ?” As that was not part of the initial plan , I wanted time to think about it ... Although the first tour had been a great experience , I had spent many , many late night hours working to organise everything myself , to curb costs for the group . Then I remembered how I could not enter the London Marathon in 2008 other than to run for a charity , and given that I was working for an NGO and being responsible for fundraising , I threw down the gauntlet that I would be prepared to organise another tour if each member undertook to raise at least R1000 for the multidisabled deaf adults at the National Institute for the Deaf ( NID ) in Worcester . They took the bait without any hesitation !
GROUP OUTINGS
So in 2013 the nine tour members to Hungary and Slovakia raised the first R16,000 . The following year , 16 runners raised R62,000 while running in Germany , Austria and Switzerland ( the 3 Countries Marathon ) and Italy . In 2015 , two tours took 26 runners to Romania , Croatia and Italy , and raised R119,000 . Then in 2016 , 25 runners headed to France , Belgium and the Netherlands , and raised R86,000 , while last year , 19 runners set out to Denmark and Sweden , and raised a whopping R164,000 . And keep in mind that the tour members still had to pay their full touring costs as well , showing just how much their fundraising efforts paid off !
The tour members have now visited 11 countries , run many races , explored new places and made lasting friendships , while enjoying an experience of a lifetime . I also believe that these running tours have enriched the lives of the runners , but even more so the vulnerable people in the care of NID . In a mere six years , this Run for the Deaf project has raised more than R450,000 , making it easier for the NID to deliver its necessary services in the only facility of its kind in South Africa , and in Africa , for that matter . The runners have proven that anybody can contribute , give , and make a difference in somebody else ’ s life , and help the deaf to overcome the difficulty of language acquisition , and ultimately , communication .
THE BETTER HALF
When my wife , Bettie , an on-off fun runner at the time , mentioned in 2013 that she wanted to go with on the tour , I told her poker-faced that I don ’ t organise tours for tourists , just for runners . She asked me what the shortest distances were on offer and when I said 4.2km and 7km respectively , she said she can do the 4.2km , but was a bit scared of the 7km . My answer was that if she could do a 5km , she could do a 7km . Well , she went along and she did her two runs , and the next year she tackled a 10km and a 15km . Then in 2015 , when the shortest distances were two 5km fun runs and the next level was a 21km , she declared that she cannot go all the way just for two 5km runs , and that resulted in her running her first 21km , in Bucharest , at the ripe old age of 60 !
The beauty of it all is that when she had to raise her R1000 the first time , she asked me to do it , as she “ Cannot ask people for money .” I helped her that first time , but the next year she asked me whether she could raise her part for the nursery school for the deaf in Worcester , where she is the acting departmental head , as they had the normal needs that any school faces . I agreed , and she raised R9000 herself ! After four years of being part of the tours , she has now raised a total of R81,000 , which enabled the school to do much-needed renovations , buy apparatus , and provide vital services .
MORE ADVENTURES TO COME
The next tour will head to Europe in September 2018 , visiting Prague and Ostrava ( Czech Republic ), Vienna ( Austria ), Bratislava ( Slovakia ) and Krakow and Warsaw ( Poland ), running three races , a parkrun and a city run along the way . The Run for the Deaf initiative continues to show that whether it is running or raising funds , the moral of the story is simple : Where there is a will , there is a way .
Natale ’ s tour groups are small and quickly fully booked , but if you want to make contact to enquire about possible future tours , please send a mail to roelofses @ breede . co . za .
Images : Courtesy Natale Roelofse
10 ISSUE 108 JULY 2018 / www . modernathlete . co . za