Bluff daredevil fiercely takes on awareness challenge
Lawrence Chislett with his mascot, Neville, joined thousands of men around the country to run the virtual race.
EVEN though he was disappointed on the day of the Hollard’s Daredevil Run, Lawrence Chislett would still do it again.
Sporting his purple branded speedo at Ansteys Beach, the self-proclaimed daredevil was on a mission to spread cancer awareness on Friday, October 15.
Armed with flyers and his mascot, Neville the daredevil, he joined thousands of men countrywide in support of prostate cancer sufferers. The Bluff resident dedicated the entire day passing out flyers and remembering those he has lost to this deadly disease.
“I ran from Ansteys Beach to Brighton Beach and then back to Ansteys Beach again. My run was very lonely, I was shocked and very disappointed with the turnout because it was advertised and I was let down that nobody pitched up,” he said.
Although the run is specifically for men, he had hoped to get women involved as well as October is Cancer Awareness Month. His plan was to run 5km and then form a circle around the pool at Ansteys in remembrance of those who had succumbed to the disease.
“It would have really been beautiful,” he said. “However, on my side, I would do it again and again. As far as I’m concerned, I am not doing it for myself but for other cancer sufferers. I stand in solidarity with all those people and on the morning of the run, I took off all the hair on my body. This was to show that they will always have my full support.”
He gave out a few pamphlets and kept going if people declined to take them. He began his day in memory of the loved ones he has lost to all types of cancer.
“I lost my aunt (my dad’s sister) and ex-wife to breast cancer. My niece died of brain cancer, it was an aggressive tumour that took her life at the age of 15. My dad’s friend who I only knew by Ivan, also died of cancer. He used to love to dig for crabs at Ansteys and the morning of the run was very sad for me, I couldn’t hold back the tears,” he said.
For just R160, Hollard challenged men to run in their speedos to fundraise for Cansa and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa.
The idea was to virtually run cancer out of their ‘hoods’ with the option in small groups or alone. Visit @DAREdevilRun
