Cape Town – Trail athlete Christiaan Greyling has summited seven mountains in seven days to raise R45 000 towards a state-of-the-art special-care school for disabled children to enjoy the freedom to move and learn.
The feat will help Starting Choice, a non-profit organisation in Mfuleni, to realise their dream of a school with a clinic and a specially designed playground.
“This challenge to me was not about the money I raised, but it gave me a reason for introspection as to just how fast we live our lives without noticing the people around us, and
the people who struggle,” Greyling said.
The first six summits went smoothly for Greyling, but he had to attempt the seventh summit twice, as his child was ill and he was involved in a car accident.
“The biggest challenge was not the physical activity as initially expected, but the logistical issues to juggle during a normal work week.
“The everyday challenges included work and meetings as well as issues such as a baby with high fever; a car accident; four birthdays, family dynamics and on top of that staying true to my commitment to summit seven mountains with an elevation of more than 1000m every day.
“But I’m happy to say I achieved what I set out to do,” he
said.
The summits were: Du Toit's Kop, the Stellenbosch Mountain, Maclear’s Beacon, Simonsberg, the Helderberg, Table Mountain and Botmaskop.
“I hope that my challenge inspires others to help similar organisations like Starting Chance,” Greyling said after his last summit.