Gregg Mitchley’s incredible journey from Benoni to Durban displayed his unwavering support for his friend, Kirsty Weir, a Paralympic athlete battling neurological lupus.
Benoni, South Africa (03 September 2024) – Braving the scorching sun, blistered feet, aches, pains and extreme fatigue was the founder of the Gregg Mitchley Foundation, Gregg Mitchley who walked for 14 days from Benoni to Durban all to support triathlete Kirsty Weir’s Paralympic dreams!
Eager to help his dear friend, a neurological lupus patient, live out her dream of representing the country at the South African Paralympics, Gregg decided to make the gruelling walk from the north to the south.
Gregg shared that his initial goal was to try to raise awareness and funds to send Kirsty to Saudi Arabia where she had to qualify for another level to be on the right track to make the SA Paralympic Team.
His second goal was to go through the pain that Kristy experiences to at least get as close to what Kirsty feels amplified by ten times every day.
“Just when I felt like giving up, I thought of what Kirsty goes through and that kept me going. Ripped feet, bloodied toes, joints in agony, muscles cramping, however, what Kirsty fights through every single day is nothing compared to what I went through,” Gregg shared in a post.
Kirsty’s disorder affects her brain, nervous system, muscles, joints, moods and so much more.
“Kirsty’s left side of her body just about doesn’t work. When you look at her, she looks absolutely normal however the excruciating pain she fights every day is not nice,” Gregg explained.
Kristy completed a challenging 14-day journey on foot to support her friend and eventually made it to the South African Paralympic Team. In Paris on Sunday, 1 September, she competed in the triathlon race, performing well in both running and cycling.
Gregg hopes to help Kristy tweak and improve her swimming so she can go for gold in 2028.
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“I would like to say a massive thank you to each and every one who contributed to my walk to Durban. It really was a dream come true and shows when we all work together we can make wonderful things happen.”
Sources: Gregg Mitchley
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