Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. My name is Mark Visser and I have lived in Malawi for over thirteen years. Some eight years ago I saw the Beit CURE International Hospital being built and since then I have watched it treat over six thousand children. They help set children free from physical disabilities through modern orthopaedic surgery. That's why I decided to run and cycle the 260km from the Hospital in Blantyre to Cape McClear up on Lake Malawi. On 31 December 2009 I turned fifty so it seemed an apt way of celebrating my jubilee year and the freedom that CURE gives to the children it treats free of charge. Everything you give will be put to good use, helping children walk, often for the first time, after life changing surgery at this wonderful hospital.
The challenge consists of a 65km (40 miles) run on the first day, a 145km (90 miles) cycle on the second day and a 50km ( 31 miles) run on the third and final day.
I will be accompanied by Felix Starker on his bicycle for the whole journey. This is a man who has done 3 multi-day cycle trips from Malawi to South Africa. He is going to be a great support.
On the first day Wes McCoy will be running with me to Zomba as a long training run as preparation for the Comrades Marathon later this year.
Please give generously, the credit crunch has affected the donations coming into the hospital, every bit helps
22 February 2010
First day is done, 63,7km run from Blantyre to Zomba according to the GPS. It was a good day, overcast skies helped keep us cool although we still got slightly sun burned. The first half of the run went very well, just over 3 hours to the Tenga-Tenga museum half way point. The second half began to take its toll a bit, the day warmed up and we even had a bit of sunshine. The pace definately slowed down, but we got to Zomba. It was greaat to run with Wes and chat as we ran. Gill was a star drving the SS Rent a Car vehicle at about 9kph all the way behinds us. Felix was great on his bicycle keeping us supplied with drinks. Gail Harrison and Frances Agar supprised me 8 kms from the end and Frances ran in with me to the end - thank you for your effort. The day ended really well with a great massage from Carla, to ensure that I will be up tothe cycle challenge tomorrow. Time for bed.
23 February 2010
Day 2 of the CURE Jubilee Challenge completed. 149,7kms from Zomba to Club Makakola on the bicycle done today. A great star with Felix and I working well together on the bicycles, we had done 37 kms and were descending the steepest of the downhills on the ride when my back wheel bearings siezed, I managed to stop without any damage to myself, but it was history for my bike. Felix got off his bike and into the vehicle with Gill and I carried on on his bike. A great ride. Very sunburned but feeling great otherwise. Tomorrow is the last stretch of 50kms of running to Danforth Yatching. Then time to relax at the lake.
24 February 2010
Day 3 of the CURE Jubilee Challenge is completed, so that means it is all over. Amazing hospitality at Club Makakola last night and this morning. Breakfast was a little delayed because of rain, and the start to our day was also delayed becasue of the rain. For those who don't know Malawi, when it rains it comes down in torrents. An hour and a half later the rain eased up and so we set off under dark grey skies. We soon ran into rain and rivers flowing over the road instead of through the culverts. The first three times I got a lift from Gill in the vehicle, by the time we got to the fourth river flowing over the road my shoes were so wet that I ran through it. When we got to the fifth river crossing it was so bad that Gill was not confident to drive through, so I had to drive. The locals were wading thigh deep through the river. We turned off the main lake shore road onto the Cape Maclear road, which is a gravel road and came to a drift that the locals were wading through up to there waistes. I had to drive through this one as well and as we went through lowest section the water came over the bonnet of the vehicle. The run along the lake shore road was relatively flat until we got to the Cape Maclear road where for the first 9 kms the road climbs over 50 meters, then it drops down and once again climbs over 60 meters. These hills were walked but in the end we got to Danforth Yachting where we were welcomed by Howard, Michelle and Craig Massey-Hicks and the whole Danforth staff, plus three passers by that were told what I had been doing so they had to stand and clap me in. It is so great to have done this so that some more children in Malawi can have operations.
Thank you to all the companies and people who have supported me in this adventure. Please continue to support this venture, even though the challenge has been completed.
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