With only 0.2% of South African’s registered as organ donors, Eric Kevin Nefdt is determined to educate more people about its importance.
The Pretoria resident is popularly known the country’s own resident Spidey, a.k.a Spinnekop, because of his marathon cause runs where he runs for awareness in full costume.
His first was to run the Comrades Marathon in 2017 for Congenital Heart Disease. August is Organ Donor Awareness Month is commemorated, he is running to educate more people about this cause.
“I have not met one person since I started this mission that is not willing to sign up to be an organ donor. It is mostly just about educating the public and showing them how easy it is to sign up. It literally only takes a few minutes,” he said.
We spoke with Nefdt on day 11 of his race (August 14). “The journey has been good for the most post, and I’ve had wonderful support from strangers along the route, to people stopping to talk, take photos, ask what I am doing, even traffic cops wanting a pic,” he said.
At the time his achilles tendon in his calf was inflamed. “This is aggravated by the running and then cramps up. But I’m still continuing, even if it means walking for the next day or so, because it’s the distance and not the time that is set in stone, with an average 40km per day, with a days rest per week,” said Nefdt.
He is joined on his mission - to run 1 500km, reaching Lüderitz, in southern Namibia by September 8 - by the “Friends of Spinnekop.
Among them are the likes of Normie Eckard (former SA U/19 rugby captain and paraplegic of over 20 years) who has joined Eric on the run and will complete a 5km per day with his rugby wheelchair for the 100Miles4Jesus campaign. And Koos Pieterse "the Koosman”, two meter tall aspiring SA Strongman, will carry Nefdt on his back over some 10kms.
“My own son was born with a non-severe heart defect. This defect corrected by itself, but I decided to put on my running shoes for a cause,” saud Nedft.
WATCH: Spinnekop and his league of supporters who ushered him out of Pretoria on day one of his race (4 August)