Relay raises funds and awareness

Stephan Lehman

The NPO, One Chance At Life (OCAL) Global, embarked on a 10-day, 24 hour, non-stop relay journey from Cape Town to Pretoria on April 28.

The team consists of nine able-bodied runners and two paraplegic hand cyclists, one of them being Jeffrey Yates who is an Edenvale resident.

The aim was to not only raise awareness around differently-abled people’s needs, but also for two individuals who have suffered spinal cord injuries.

The money raised by the worldwide movement will provide these individuals with the necessary medical resources, much needed rehabilitation and acquiring the right wheelchair or prosthetics for their needs.

The non-stop journey went through four provinces and ended on May 8.

The current core team of OCAL consists of founder, Nicolene Mostert; co-founder, Alun Davies; WP van Zyl, Oswald Kydd, Edenvale’s Jeffrey Yates, Bennie Erasmus, John Montanari, Samantha Lowe, Christopher Geils, Paul Ward, Ryan Anley and Simon Kohler.

“I was looking to make a difference in life right around the time I met Nicolene. Her mission to challenge a global belief system regarding disability resonated with me and it was a naturally easy partnership from there,” said Alun Davies, the co-founder of OCAL Global.

Having project managed a team of physically disabled athletes, including the world’s first triple amputee, going up Kilimanjaro made it as clear as daylight to this passionate duo that there is no such thing as disability.

“It sparked the realisation that we are all, in some way or another, disabled. Be it emotionally, physically or mentally,” said Mostert

“The event was aimed at changing perceptions of the larger public with regards to disabled people across the country,” said Jeffrey.

The relay was approximately 1 800km and had two teams who would each run their allocated distance for the day, while the other team rested. Once the determined distanced had been reached, the teams would stop.

“None of us are professional athletes. We are weekend warriors. There were challenges for everyone,” said Jeffrey, though some of the challenges he faced during the run and cycle was living in a campervan, being confined and the lack of accessibility at some places.

“I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone,” said Jeffrey.

By being so close all the time, the team members developed a strong bond.

“We went into the journey as strangers and came out as family,” said Jeffrey.

“It was a gratifying experience, the landscape and scenery was beautiful,” said Jeffrey, who added that while going through the towns, the residents were supportive.

He said he wanted to show that people with disabilities can live normally.

“People were blown away and bewildered, the message got out there,” he said.

The event ended at the Wings For Life run at Supersport Park in Pretoria,

“The initiative raised 6.6 million British Pounds globally for spinal chord injury research,” said Jeffrey.

The OCAL Global team, however, won’t be stopping there.

They also plan to enrol the two candidates into coaching courses in order for them to mentor the 2018 team members.