3 000km walk to give hope to amputees kicks off in east
The five-month walk is expected to cover four cities.
Paul Steyn, a well-known amputee, will be embarking on a five-month walk to raise funds for amputees who cannot afford prosthetic legs.
The 3 000km walk is expected to start on Tuesday, 26 June. It will cover four cities and will kick off in the east of Pretoria and then to Nelspruit and Durban before ending in Cape Town on 26 November.
Paul Steyn Foundation spokesperson Julita Kok said Paul had on previous walks managed to raise enough money to help 16 people with prosthetic legs.
“This time around things could only get better,” she said.
“The first donation will take place at the starting point where a female double amputee will receive both prostheses and a scholarship.”
Steyn would be accompanied by a fellow amputee, Mike Minnie, along with a driver and an on-hand assistant.
The amputees would be regularly monitored by an orthopaedic for any issues with their prostheses.
Amputee Xolani Luvuyo, who recently completed the Comrades Marathon on his crutches, is to join the duo on the first day of their walk.
“Paul and Xolani have great admiration for one another and played a huge role in each other’s lives,” said Kok.
Xolani, who lived under a bridge for six years and led a life of drug addiction, was among the amputees who benefited from Paul’s gestures.
Paul’s leg was amputated in 2000 after a freak accident when his leg got caught between the blades of a lawnmower that was being pulled by a tractor.
For six months doctors tried to save his leg, without any success before it was finally decided to amputate below the knee.
“Paul is prepared to walk many miles, jump out of planes, swim in deep rivers – whatever he has to do to raise awareness and funds to help others like himself and Xolani,” said Kok.
South Africa’s champion wheelchair racer and national sales manager at Össur, Ernest van Dyk will also join the walkers alongside another 30 other amputees.
The journey is expected to kick off at 08:30 at the Parkview Centre. Members of the public are invited to attend.
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https://www.citizen.co.za/rekord/174076/video-pretoria-amputee-describes-his-comrades-marathon-journey/
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