SPECIAL FEATURE
Blake and Alaska enjoying nature
Environmental Education
These days Blake is more involved in higher level policy work with government and corporates , helping them to be more environmentally conscious , as well as in educational programmes with schools and communities . “ I do roadshows around the country on greener packaging , and I am working with various government bodies , looking at systems to manage waste better and create jobs . My focus has very much gone to that side of things ,” he says .
“ I also work with schools , doing eco-training with the kids to teach them about waste management , composting and recycling , and I have helped get environmental education and even hiking introduced as subjects in some schools . We ’ ve started vegetable gardens at schools that are now selling their own produce in the school tuck-shop or via an online platform , or even supplying their fruit and vegetables to local spaza shops ! That in turn has led to a new educational direction , marketing the produce and creating websites to sell it , so it has become a circular educational process . I believe that if we educate the youth about circular processes , they will enter the business world with a more balanced outlook , and a better understanding of how valuable a healthy environment is ,” he says .
Typically , however , if you actually ask Blake what he does for a living , and where he works , he gives you a multi-layered answer , because it seems one job is just not enough for this ‘ Duracell Bunny .’ “ First up , I manage the RMB sponsorship of school , varsity and national rowing for a marketing and consultancy company called CN and Co . I ’ m also co-founder of Brownie Points , a digital platform that connects companies and people to good deeds – basically , it ’ s Tinder for charities , all about donations and volunteerism . A company can create a cause , like collecting 10,000 blankets for people who lost everything in a fire , then people can donate and they can track the donations , progress and feedback . I also have Love Our Trails on the go as well .” And of course , in between that , he does the environmental consultancy and advocacy work as well . It ’ s an impressive work schedule !
Making New Friends
Returning to the topic of his running , Blake says there is a parallel to his environmental work , in that several things happened to draw him into the sport . Having grown up in a family that moved around regularly due to his father ’ s work in the mining industry , he says he only began playing sport in high school , taking up water polo when the family settled in Cape Town . He also tried rowing and lifesaving after school , but then in 2010 he did his first running race , the Knysna Forest Half Marathon , and everything changed .
“ I was given a free entry by a friend , provided I agreed to go the after-party , and I didn ’ t even know what the distance of the race was until we were already a few kilometres in ! I was running in squash shoes , which were not ideal , and even worse , all I was wearing was a speedo , because I was trying to win a competition to create awareness of the Daredevil Run , with the prize being a trip to Las Vegas – and you know how cold it is at that start up in the forest ! It was just a total disaster ,” he recalls .
“ No surprise that I didn ’ t enjoy most of that run , but in the last three kays I met other runners that were suffering just as much , so we ran in together , and you know , for first time in a long time I felt like I had achieved something I didn ’ t think I was capable of . Also , I felt included and welcomed by this community of runners , so I decided to do more races . Next came the Winter Trail Series , and that was it , the bug had bitten , thanks to the running community .”
Finding a Cause
In December 2010 , Blake was invited to be part of the Boob Run for Lettie , a fundraising run that January for Lettie Heyns in her battle against cancer , and he says it was another life-changing experience . “ When Chantelle Nienaber mailed me the details and I saw it was 160km , I asked her if she was mad , but I ended up running about 120km before being forced out with an injury . It really opened my mind to ultra events , and the ultrarunning community , with all the support it brings .”
“ I only raised about R5000 for Lettie , but my relationship with her and the rest of that group of runners was incredible . Sadly , she passed away later in 2011 , but her words have always stayed with
Blake gets another Love Our Trails clean-up going
me : ‘ Our single greatest gift in life is our health , vitality and mobility .’ She inspired me to make a commitment to use my health and sporting ability to make a difference , and since I knew Lettie and others fighting cancer , I decided to run to support The Pink Drive .”
That saw Blake do many events in a pink ‘ onesie ,’ as well as a number of other , equally eye-catching outfits , always appearing to have a whale of a time with friends and fellow runners . Then in 2014 he was not only one of the successful applicants for the Unogwaja team that cycled from Cape Town to KZN for the Comrades Marathon , but also finished as the leading charity fundraiser in that year ’ s race . “ I won the Amabeadiebeadie Charity Donor of the Year award from Comrades that year , and over the years I have raised hundreds of thousands of Rands for Pink Drive and other causes , so I ’ d like to think I have made a difference ,” he says .
These days he says his running is bit less structured . “ I go through phases , and even though I am still actively running , I ’ m currently doing short-distance stuff on top of a big focus on mountain-biking . A couple of years ago I got it into triathlons and adventure racing as well , and I did the Durban 70.3 , so I was planning to do the full Ironman last year , but it was cancelled due to COVID . I think it ’ s important to keep setting new goals , so I ’ m sure I will think of something else to work towards .”
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