Fundraising: Marathons-4-Mongoose Campaign
Towards end of 2023 our coffins were dwindling at a frightening speed. Vostile and myself, Mmatumelo, as leaders of the club holding chair person and the finance positions, came up with the Marathons 4 Mongoose campaign. Combining our passion for running with fundraising seemed natural to us. So, we challenged ourselves to run a marathon – each one of us – and invite friends and colleagues to support us by donating for our runs with GBT Mongoose being the beneficiary. The cost for our participation was on our back. This campaign became a life line for the team.
Mmatumelo runs Sanlam Cape Town Marathon
I started the campaign by running the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on the 16th of October 2023. It was the breakfast of a 3 course meal. Going into the race with an injury, I knew it would be hard. So it was, but the thought of running for the team kept me going until the finish line. I managed my pain and made it with a time of 4 hours 52 minutes, though slower as I had hoped for. The vibes were great and it was worthwhile, never mind the pains. I hope to repeat the same race without any underlying injuries in the future.
Vostile pushes Soweto Marathon on a wheelchair
The main course of our marathon meal was eaten push by push at the Soweto Marathon, the people’s race. It was Vostile’s first full marathon distance and a challenging course. We had just registered our team and Vostiles Fundraiser run on the back-a-buddy portal. Some friends encouraged us through their donations. Being the only person on a wheelchair among the ten thousands of participants, we weren’t sure what to expect, but we were convinced: Vostile was ready for it! Supported by a running group under the leadership of Simo Mcwango he pushed through with ease, finishing in 4 hours 28 minutes with a smile.
He says: “I developed a love for running. For me participating in the Soweto marathon was a double benefit: Challenging myself and raising awareness and funds. Running long distance has become integral part of my conditioning and training program. So, a marathon was not something out of the way. Participating in the Soweto Marathon was also reflecting my wish to be part of the community. The running community is quite a big and vibrant community. Besides, it was important for me to expose our Mongoose brand and raise awareness about our team and its needs. Being already part of the running community by having participated in local training runs it felt natural for me to take on a big event. It was an awesome experience! The bus driver Simo and the passengers on his bus made it easy for me to push through.”
The campaign raised awareness and much needed funds for our Provincial Club Championship League participation. But we still have to do it again and start the campaign earlier. It was our pilot event, and we learned a lot through it.
The duo shares a Marathon at Klerksdorp
On Sunday the 11th February all signs pointed to Klerksdorp Wesvalia Highschool, where the Klerksdorp Marathon took place. Excited we arrived the evening before and got up to what we loved. After the starting shot we just went with the stream executing a wonderful 21 km in good weather conditions among the crowd of runners. After the race, runners came back to Vostile, telling him how inspirational his participation was for them. He was the only athlete on a wheelchair – we ask why?
Vostile just smashed the course with a solid 2:11 finish being 32nd in his age category and well in the middle field for his gender. We hope that his efforts can raise some more much needed funds for his team. If you would like to show your appreciation of his effort in form of a donation, this campaign is still rolling to reach the target. Mmatumelo ran steadily and delivered spirited finishing sprint clocking a time of 1:53, making her the 5th master lady to complete. Taken both half marathons together, our combined marathon gave a 4:04 min finish…how awesome is that?!
To support the marathons-4-mongoose fundraiser please click here and donate https://www.backabuddy.co.za/marathons-4-mongoose
You can also register as a champion on the back-a-buddy portal and run marathons for us by making GBT Mongoose the beneficiary of your campaign.