Heugene prepares for Kilimanjaro
Former Brakpan resident Heugene Murray has not allowed a leg amputation suffered five years ago to break his spirit, and now the 38-year-old father of three is set to lead a team of disabled South African athletes against disabled counterparts from the USA, in an exciting challenge.
The teams are set to take on the daunting 5 895m high Mount Kilimanjaro, a challenge that has proved difficult for many able-bodied athletes.
The challenge aims to raise funds to provide prostheses for 1 000 amputee children in South Africa, an initiative of non-profit organisation Guts2Glory, which supports disabled athletes.
The team, made up of athletes from Gauteng and Cape Town, will include six disabled athletes who have had a leg amputated above the knee and another two paraplegic athletes who aim to go up the mountain in wheelchairs.
Murray, a para-athlete who holds titles in numerous para-sports, such as javelin and shot-put, will lead the eight-member team up the mountain on January 17, 2014.
“The preparation for the challenge is hectic,” said Murray.
“We not only need to be physically strong to take on the highest mountain in Africa, but mentally tough as well.
“I accepted the challenge because I want to make a big difference and create disability awareness.”
The Brakpan businessman who owns Heugene Real Estate added that he spends three to four hours per day training at CrossFit Urban Shack in Boksburg, on the athletics track and at the gym.
“Running after my three girls is also good exercise,” he joked.
“The Kilimanjaro challenge is more about teamwork than simply just America versus South Africa.
“It is about taking each other’s hands and finishing the climb.
“Any person has potential to succeed; you just have to put your heart into it.”
For more information on the Kilimanjaro challenge, visit www.guts2glory.co.za.
