Leandri Jansen van Rensburg and Stefan Sharp, two teachers from De Hoop Primary School in Somerset West, will take on the Western Cape’s premier three day stage trail run, the AfricanX Trailrun presented by ASICS the weekend of 27 – 29 April 2018 in support of ‘Home of Hope’.
A registered non-profit organisation, Home of Hope cares for and educates abused and abandoned children in South Africa with a special focus on those affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). FASD is an umbrella term for a range of permanent physical and neurological disorders caused by pre-natal exposure to alcohol.
Both Jansen van Rensburg and Sharp will make their AfricanX debut this year when they run in the colours of Big Box Containers.
“We both like a challenge,” admits Jansen van Rensburg. “We’ve only heard good stories about AfricanX and felt that the event would give us the ideal opportunity to test our trail running abilities and push our limits. We are grateful to Big Box for the team entry. It will be an honour to run in their colours. As our entry was a gift, we also wanted to touch someone else’s life so we decided to run in support of Home of Hope.”
According to Sharp, running for a charity is a great opportunity to ‘pay it forward’. “Leandri and I work with children on a daily basis. It means a lot to us to be able to support Home of Hope, an organisation that tries to improve the livelihoods of children. We are looking forward to both the mental and physical challenge. We love adventures and that is how we view AfricanX.”
“Home of Hope feels very privileged to have Leandri and Stefan acting as champions for our children,” says Hayley Gimingham, Home of Hope Representative. “Their support will not only hopefully bring in some funds, but it will also give us some much needed exposure. There are many deserving charities that Leandri and Stefan could have chosen to support, but they chose us and for this we are truly grateful. We wish them the best of luck as they take part in this challenging race. We cannot wait to see how they perform.”
For further information or to help Leandri and Stefan raise money for Home of Hope email [email protected] and or [email protected]
“The AfricanX Trailrun is unique in that it gives trail runners a chance to compete in a multi-day stage race as part of a team,” says Willie Ward, Director of Big Box Containers. “Each stage boasts stunning scenery, while the ‘village feel’ and wonderful hospitality in the race village is rivalled by none. Big Box Containers, through our corporate social investment strategy, has a strong focus on education. We have been involved with various projects where shipping containers are used as classrooms. The fact that Leandri and Stefan are passionate teachers that want to ‘use’ their entries for such a good cause really makes the fit special. We are both excited and proud to offer them an entry into the 2018 event.”
EVENT INFORMATION: 2018 AfricanX Trailrun presented by ASICS
Teams of two (male/female/mixed) will be seen putting teamwork and endurance to the test when they battle it out on a route that will vary in distance between 22 – 34km each day. The three routes have been planned in such a way that the runners will have the opportunity to tackle a different breath-taking scenic route each day.
DATE: 27 – 29 April 2018
FORMAT: Three-day stage race / teams of two (male/female/mixed)
VENUE: Boschendal Wine Estate (Stellenbosch/Franschhoek)
DISTANCE: Between +- 22km – +- 38km each day
SANET WENTZEL SPIRIT AWARD: Introduced in memory of a fallen athlete, the ‘Sanet Wentzel Spirit honours AfricanX entrants who persevere irrespective of the adversity that they face. Trail runners taking part in the 2018 AfricanX Trailrun are encouraged to send their nominations with a short description to [email protected]
BEST DRESSED COMPETITION: Although all three stages of the AfricanX Trailrun are equally special, Stage Two features ‘that extra flair’ with trail runners allowing their creative sides to get the better of them as they try to outdo their rivals in the AfricanX’s “Best Dressed” competition. With awesome sponsor prizes up for grabs, “Dress Up Day” is sure to be the source of much excitement.
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For additional information on the AfricanX Trailrun presented by ASICS contact Stillwater Sports on 082 991 0045 or email [email protected].
ENDS
Issued by: NEWSPORT MEDIA
On behalf of: STILLWATER SPORTS