GivenGain, a global fundraising platform founded by two South Africans, has partnered with Mindset Movement, a South African club focused on transforming lives through endurance sport, to raise funds for local NPOs while taking on the formidable 13 Peaks Endurance Challenge in Cape Town on Thursday 10 October.
The route consists of tagging 13 of Cape Town’s most iconic peaks and covers approximately 105 km and 6 000 m of vertical gain. Several athletes from Mindset Movement will be attempting to complete it in under 24 hours in support of these local NPOs.
One such participant is Didier de Villiers. Last year, he became the first person ever to run the 13 Peaks twice, consecutively in under 48 hours.
This year he is challenging himself yet further. His goal
“I met Evelina in 2023 after I saw an Instagram post asking for donations to help her buy a Comrades Marathon entry ticket. She was a domestic worker for a friend of mine and I went to meet her to see how I could help.
“Over the next hour, I heard the story of an incredible woman who has not let tragedy and hardship define her life.”
Evelina Tshabalala made history in 1993 when she became the first black woman to claim a podium spot at the Two Oceans Marathon, finishing third. Despite this achievement her life took a difficult turn when she was diagnosed with HIV/Aids in the late 1990s, amid widespread stigmas.
Since her diagnosis Tshabalala has gone on to conquer ultra-marathons and the highest peaks, becoming an activist in her community. She founded the Evelina Tshabalala Foundation, which seeks to get children off the streets by participating in running, and provides support and resources to people living with HIV/Aids while promoting healthy lifestyles and fitness, particularly through running.
“I used to run from Milnerton to Blouberg in the morning and I would see children from our community begging for money,” Tshabalala related. “This led me to start an initiative to help keep them off the streets.”
Other fundraisers attempting “13 Peaks” in under 24 hours include Mark Wille and Simoné Fuls. Wille is raising funds for Ubuntu Football Trust, an organisation that uses football to empower youth in South Africa, and Fuls is running in support of Great Girls, a charity dedicated to empowering young women through education and support.
“Taking on a challenge like ‘13 Peaks’ tests the mind and body,” Fuls points out, “but it’s nothing compared to the obstacles these girls face every day. By supporting Great Girls we can help shape these young women into strong, independent and skilled individuals ready to conquer the world.”
Cape Town’s “13 Peaks” was also the feat of choice for 11-year-old GivenGain fundraiser Kenzie Knott, who climbed all 13 peaks in six days with her dad to raise funds for rhinos earlier this year.
“My passion has always been the mountains and animals,” he said. “I wanted to make a difference by attempting my fourth ‘13 Peaks Challenge’ to raise R15 000 for the Rhino Orphans.”
GivenGain is the global leader in cloud-based activism. It has joined forces with countless mass-participation and endurance events such as the upcoming Cape Town Marathon, 947 Ride Joburg and Gone4Good as well as the ABSA Cape Epic, Cape Town Cycle Tour and Two Oceans Marathon.
Internationally, GivenGain has partnered with the likes of Ireland’s Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon and the Boston Marathon, the latter seeing an increase of 68% in its fundraising efforts as a direct result.
“We mobilise fundraising for mass-participation events as well as empower individuals and communities to make an impact,” said Jannie Smith, regional manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at GivenGain. “We are also a non-profit. Driven by purpose, being non-profit, all fees are reinvested in building new tools to continue making giving easier for all.
“It is extremely exciting to see a growing trend in recent years where individuals and communities create their own challenges to raise funds on GivenGain. They are really taking things into their own hands to make a difference in South Africa.”
To find out more about GivenGain as a fundraiser, charity or an event, or to support these worthy causes, visit www.givengain.com.
