A man has dedicated an epic run of 100 km, that’ll cross mountains, to a little cancer fighter’s project which makes sure cuddles, hope and strength continue uplifting children facing health battles in South Africa.
Cape Town, South Africa (09 November 2023) — After being disheartened when a marathon didn’t go as planned, the opportunity to tackle an even bigger race and give it an even greater purpose came about. 100km across mountains takes a lot, but for Fourie Rossouw, it’ll give even more to a project that helps children summit their own mountain-like challenges.
Earlier this year, Zhara’s Little Lamb Project hopped onto GTG’s radar of extra special humans. Since we learned of cancer warrior Zhara Du Toit’s ambitious project that has seen knitted and crocheted lambs fill up spaces in young hearts fighting health battles across the country, love has been tangible. Children have felt less alone. And lamb plush toys have become symbols of how much a small act of kindness can mean.
Now, someone else is lacing up to go the extra mile for the lambs to make sure that they continue snuggling up to the little fighters who need them. This after Fourie Rossouw’s initial 75km race from Franschhoek to Stellenbosch over mountain terrain didn’t go according to plan after getting sick.
“In the backseat of the Uber back to the parking lot at the jump-off, I was licking my wounds like a ‘pavement special’ street burglary,” he shared.
A friend of Zhara’s family, the mountain that she and her family have had to climb puts things into perspective for Fourie.
“While I’m sitting and licking, I’m thinking of my friends whose little girl also has a mountain to climb… Just the thought of her and her parents rips me out of my self-pity. A few times through the course of the afternoon I want to marinate myself in my disappointment, but then I think again about her (and so many others) whose life path is significantly more challenging than a DNF on a nice mountain adventure in Stellenbosch. “
So, when Zhara’s father Johan Du Toit encouraged Fourie to enter one of the last big races of the year (the RMB Ultra-trail) and run it with Zhara as inspiration, Fourie accepted the challenge.
The kilometres ahead will see him cross the tough terrain of Table Mountain as part of the away jump of the ultra trail, set for 25 November. With each kilometre he puts behind him, he edges closer to his fundraising goals for Zhara’s Little Lambs so that more love and soft sidekicks can go around.
“So now I ask you, what’s your mountain and what’s your 100?” Fourie asked others, reminding us all that while we might not be able to conquer a mountain for another, we can certainly make the journey smoother.
You can support the project here.
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