ROAD RUNNING
In Support of CHOC
The Spartan Baby Badass Ultra aims to raise funds for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA , a non-profit organisation that supports the wellbeing of children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer or life-threatening blood disorders , and their families . CHOC aims to save lives through early detection of childhood cancer , and making the journey of those who are affected less burdensome , through comprehensive support programmes .
The impact of the organization can be seen in the statistics … Over 1700 children being cared for , over 1400 families receiving psychosocial support , CHOC accommodation offered to children and their parents or caregivers during treatment and follow-up visits , carebags and food parcels made for patients and families , and more . All part of the vital work this organisation does in the fight against childhood cancer .
More info at https :// choc . org . za replenish the popcorn machine . Others arrive with home-made banana bread and Italian crostata to feed the athletes . About 20 people .
In addition , an extended team of sponsors make their teams available at the event venue , namely The Italian Club , Casa Serena and SetteBello . Also , let ’ s not forget the team from The COWS and CHOC . Even Hedley Lewis , the CHOC CEO , swung by to say hello – after midnight nonetheless – with his two wonderful daughters in tow .
So , what is the SBBU ’ s tooth-to-tail ratio ? Some say it is 4:1 . Others say closer to 5:1 . The SBBU organisers say that it takes a village to raise a Spartan Baby .
An Epic Ask
The first few hours take care of themselves , most runners managing these without much issue . But as the sun sets and the moon rises , the weight of the race is revealed . After midnight , the reality of the beast becomes clear , with each loop a Sisyphean trial of epic proportions . ( In Greek mythology , Sisyphus was the tyrannical king of Ephyra , who killed visitors to show off his power , violating the sacred hospitality tradition and angering the gods . They punished him for this trickery , and for cheating death twice , by forcing him to roll an immense boulder up a hill , only for it to roll back down every time it neared the top , and repeating this action for eternity . In modern
It takes more than Spartan armour to survive the SBBU
Setting off on the first loop
They were embarking on a 24-hour odyssey full of challenges and existential reckoning , to achieve the coveted title of “ Spartan Baby ”
Sometimes a helpful noticeboard is not a welcome sight at 4am !
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