10,000kms Challenge Hopes to Pay for 50 Students' School Fees!

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James Lewis initiated an epic 10,000kms Challenge to help 50 kids have their school fees paid for. With 4,000kms done by James alone, things were looking great until he fell ill and ultimately, out of action. However, a community of athletes have stepped in to add kilometres to the cause, keeping the momentum going!

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Johannesburg, South Africa (19 June 2024) — 10,000kms in one year is certainly no light commitment. But for one James Lewis (45), it’s one he welcomed (and initiated) with open arms. With the stakes high and his determination cranked up, James’ hope has been to complete the 10,000kms Challenge this year to raise funds for 50 underprivileged learners’ school fees at Salvazione School in Joburg.

A board member of the school himself, James’ commitment to his initiative was driven by a desire to give every child quality education. The situation at the school is unique, in that only around 5% of its income comes from school fees due to the personal circumstances that the learners’ families face, being from underprivileged communities.

For James, raising funds for the fees is not only a way to ensure that school children and their families can enjoy their educational experiences without worry but also provides an essential means to the school itself.

“Every child deserves a quality education to unlock their full potential. However, education inequalities still persist today in South Africa. Giving learners access to Salvazione School can positively impact learners’ lives, realise better futures, and light a path to success,” says James.

“I have chosen to make a difference in the lives of young people around me through effort.This challenge requires many hours and days of commitment and grit. Making an impact comes down to the effort one puts in rather than money on its own.”

Certainly, the level of effort James has been willing to put in surprised many people in the best way, including himself. This, considering that just a year ago, he had done no exercise in years before entering a challenging race that inspired him to turn exercise into a way to make a difference.

By April already, James had completed over 4,000km that saw him travel all over Gauteng and through the Natal Midlands, either by foot or with his trusty bicycle. Ultimately, the challenge aims to have 7,000km done via bike, and 3,000 done running.

Despite how positively the 10,000kms challenge was going, in an unexpected turn of events, James fell seriously ill during April and May. He spent the two months in and out of the hospital and became unable to work out or continue his progress.

But, the community backing James was not about to let all his hard work be for nothing.

In a heartwarming twist, Salvazione School shared that a community of athletes has joined their Strava group and has run or cycled kilometres toward the challenge to keep its momentum going. Needless to say, the challenge is very much still on!

To date, around R250,000 has already been raised in pledges and donations according to the school, and the dream to raise over R1 million for the learners is that much closer to being realised.

You can support the 10,000kms Challenge in the following ways: