Edenvale cyclist completes 2 150km Freedom Challenge for a good cause
Edenvale cyclist Steve Johnston braved one of the world’s toughest endurance races to raise awareness and funds, journeying more than 2 000km through SA’s rural heartland.
Edenvale-based cyclist Steve Johnston was among those who took on the gruelling Freedom Challenge, a 2 150km mountain biking race across SA, for a good cause.
Throughout the journey, Steve shared updates and reflections on his Instagram page, @the_free_steve, giving followers an inside look at this extreme endurance adventure.
The Freedom Challenge is an annual winter race that begins at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall in KwaZulu-Natal and ends at the Diemersfontein Wine Estate near Wellington in the Western Cape. It is considered one of the toughest mountain bike races in the country and the world.
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The race tests participants physically, mentally and spiritually. It was the brainchild of visionary Dave Waddilove, who aimed to connect rural communities across SA through a shared trail.
“Dave saw the potential to link rural communities and share the beauty, people, and places of SA few get to experience,” said Freedom Challenge’s Mike Roy.
“With this vision in mind, the Freedom Trail was created, which now serves as the route for the race.
“Riders journey through KwaZulu-Natal’s rural farmlands, the tribal lands beneath the Drakensberg, into the Eastern Cape, across the Karoo, and onward to the Western Cape.”
Participants must navigate using maps and a compass; no GPS is allowed. Along the way, they are hosted by SA families from diverse backgrounds: Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, English and Afrikaans.
Riders also pass ancient rock art left behind by the first people to walk these lands. Most overnight stops are on remote farms that have been in the same families for generations.
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There is no prize money. The finishing riders are awarded a traditional Basotho blanket, an emotional honour, especially when presented by a blanket holder (a past finisher who completed the race within the 26-day limit).
“The goal is to showcase our country’s beauty and diversity, support development initiatives like the Freedom Scholarship Fund, and offer riders the chance to discover their true limits. Many describe the experience as ‘life-changing’,” Roy added.
About 60 riders participated this year, hailing from SA and across the globe. They battled extreme cold, hypothermia, navigation challenges, bike maintenance issues, limited nutrition, isolation, mental fatigue and physical exhaustion.
“They are taken to their absolute limits,” Roy said.
“They find out how much courage they have; it’s always more than they imagined. They face fears of darkness, lightning, injuries and even ghosts.”
Race director Chris Fisher, his wife, Julia, and race doctor Grant Lindsay lead the event with help from dedicated volunteers known as Buffalo Herders, ex-riders stationed along the route to assist participants.
Each rider carries a tracker for safety and emergency response. Rural support stations along the way provide meals and beds.
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Each rider carries a tracker for safety and emergency response. Along the way, rural support stations provide meals and beds.
Now in its 22nd year, the Freedom Challenge has had a significant impact on both the riders and the rural communities it touches.
“The income generated for these support stations is substantial. Farming is tough, and any extra support goes a long way.
“But perhaps more importantly, this race has played a meaningful role in uniting South Africans across racial and cultural divides. Not many white South Africans have had the privilege of being hosted by Xhosa, Zulu or Sotho families.”
Donations to the Freedom Scholarship Fund are always welcome.
“We’re proud of the number of young people we’ve helped access secondary education,” Roy stated.
On how the challenge inspires and connects communities, Roy added, “The bicycle is the most basic form of mechanical transport. On a bike, we are all equal. We can have conversations, connect with those we pass and experience life from their perspective.
“The Freedom Challenge gives South Africans a chance to truly see each other, to talk, to listen and to share.
“At the heart of it all is a shared desire: happiness. Ubuntu. The human virtues of compassion and community.”
When asked what he hoped riders and spectators took from this year’s journey, Roy said, “The incredible joy of being part of a special family, the Freedom family. A rare privilege.”
