Cycling junkie with a heart of gold
He may have travelled across the world, but he considers himself a 'local' in some ways.
GARTH Lezard (40) was born in Harare, Zimbabwe and some of his earliest memories were of riding bicycles. He was virtually born a cycling junkie and the epic movie ‘ET’ also inspired him!
An only child, he grew up in Durban and went to school at Northlands. He loved sport and came down to Port Edward to surf as often as possible. His uncle, Simon Lezard, owned The Webb Pizza Place and Garth worked in the restaurant and soon become ‘one of the locals’.
After school he studied at the Durban Technicon, as well as earning a diploma in photo/journalism in Wales. Garth had a dream about becoming an endurance cyclist, as well as travelling the world. He competed in various cycling and tri-athalon events and qualified to take part in the World Triathalon Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2012.
An informal visit to a children’s Cheshire Home in Lusaka, Zambia, where his 16 year old cousin worked as a volunteer, sparked an idea in the young cyclist. He would become an ambassador for the Cheshire Homes group which cares for sufferers of physical and mental degenerative diseases. He decided to embark on a global cycling endeavour to raise awareness and funds for Leonard Cheshire Disability Homes, which is British-based. Between 2004 and 2010 he visited 24 countries on six continents, visiting Cheshire Homes wherever he went. He gave talks and presentations to schools and local communities.
After completing his global trip, Garth just could not settle down with a normal job in suburbia – he had to cycle! Being a rugby player and fan, he decided to support the Super Rugby Series by visiting all 16 teams on two continents. After travelling through Australia and New Zealand, Garth returned to South Africa to visit the ‘home boys’.
He started in Pretoria at Loftus to meet the Bulls, travelled to Johannesburg to chat to the Lions, and then cycled for four days to Bloemfontein. From there he rode to Cape Town’s Stormers where he interviewed Schalk Burger. It took him 12 days to pedal to Port Elizabeth, home of the Kings, and then he headed north towards Durban.
He could not pass Port Edward without stopping off to visit some old friends, so he parked his bike and relaxed and surfed with his mates for a few days. His final leg took him to Kings Park in Durban where he met up with his home team, the Sharks.
Grant’s dedication and enthusiasm has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to many. If anyone would like to support Garth in his fundraising efforts, please contact him on 076 2230131.
