2 Oceans Marathon Back to Back 2014

It only seems like yesterday that I was craving everything and anything a runner should not crave under normal circumstances, let alone eat while running. Yes, those moments when your body tells you "if you do not give me potato crisps, porridge, a burger etc right now, I am going into shut-down mode." And I did oblige my body, gave it potato crisps someone in the support crew fortunately had on hand. Think it was around Chapman's Peak... My feet were coming into contact with the hill for the second time in less that 12 hours, sending signals to my mind that this was abnormal, completely and utterly absurd of me to have embarked on this in the first place.
But the second leg of the 2 Oceans Ultra marathon had to be done. On my shoulders laid a burden, under me a fire, both prompting me to look beyond the present and envision a country where children are given a shot at the future they desire. A society where circumstances do not equate to deprivation of the basic and primary human need, which in my opinion is love.
After moments of my mind attempting to convince my limbs that motion was apparently a necessity in a mission such as this, something of a pilgrim's progress to the top of the hill occurred. Shedding the weight of unbelief and putting on the air of defiance, I tottered on with the support of the relentless crew from Newkidz on the Block.
The kilometers seemed unusually long and I saw hills at the slightest rises in the tarmac. Yet, for some reason I am walking into this mission again. Something if given the choice I would not "gladly do". However, desperate times call for desperate measures and I hope this time around, the footsteps making contact with that course of the 2 Oceans Marathon, will make a statement. It is my hope that those 112km will be what is needed to make the dream of a child finding a family. It is my hope that the hours out on the road, will be nothing compared to the years many orphans will have under the care of loving parents, under the mentorship of brothers, sisters and professionals who show them their lives are worthy now and even more in the future. It is my hope that this small gesture, will give a voice to the millions of orphans in South Africa and beyond that need families, safer living environments and teachers to bring their dreams into reality.

To find out how you can join me on this journey, before or after the 2 Oceans Marathon, please go to: http://www.newkidz.org.za/edeline-mutize-to-run-the-two-oceans-ultra-marathon-twice-for-orphans/

Mission On Hold...

The climax of any given story often leaves one with a desire for more. Furthermore, the protagonist is expected to emerge with some form of victory which brings the audience a sense of triumph. However, Mission Possible Comrades Back to Back does not follow a similar plot to the regular story.

Once there was a team, whose endeavor was to slay a dragon of sorts. An imposing menace that broke hearts, minds and lives, leaving the young tenderlings calloused by hardship leaving them with neither inclination nor ability to love and be loved. The thought of one young life derailed on our watch was enough to convince us to leave the familiar and venture into seemingly uncharted regions. With minimal reserves, we put much on the line with one thing in mind…radically bringing down the monstrosity replicated in millions of scenarios, labeled “orphan”.

Though the vision of our trip ended with the raising of hands in triumph as I crossed the finish line of the Comrades marathon after 174km, our journey ended only a couple of hours after it started due to a faulty starter motor. 

While our sights were set on Pietermaritzburg and Durban, our car gave in just outside Laingsburg in the Western Cape. Constant sighs, echoed what words could not express but we knew one thing had to be done, keep level heads and look for the silver lining in the dark cloud. If truth be told, silver linings are difficult to spot through tainted eyes but we continued to fumble on. With all other options exhausted, we resolved to abort Mission Possible, Comrades Back to Back.
The mission ended before it hardly begun on Friday 31 May. Something that may seem like failure but we took this a learning curve. If one lives to tell the tale, then the tale will certainly be worth telling. All those clichés, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," all came to fore but above all we learnt to be content in whatever circumstance we found ourselves. We learnt never to take our eyes off the goal. Our trip to the Comrades was cut short, but the mission to spread the word and change the lives of millions of orphans is far from over.

Yet another "Mission Possible"

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. While some say faith is blind, I believe faith has eyes that see beyond reason. Faith sees possibility where many see failure. Faith sees a way where obstacles mount and restrictions inhibit the individual from being. Faith is what prompted me to take on yet another grueling challenge as part of the Mission Possible campaign to create awareness about Newkidz on the Block as well as raise funds for their projects. 

As a fundraising activist for Newkidz,  I have faith that one day, South Africa will no longer be home to millions of orphans but rather a nation where all children are placed in loving homes and raised to become the best they can possibly be.

It is faith in our future that compelled me to run the Comrades Marathon back to back. On the 1^st of June, the night before the official Comrades Marathon race, I will set off from Pietermaritzburg for the first leg of a double Comrades in 24 hours. Upon arrival in Durban on the morning of the 2^nd of June, I will join close to 20,000 athletes as they take on the official Ultimate Human race which starts in at the Durban and finishes in Pietermaritzburg. The Comrades Marathon 2013 is an up run, a difficult hilly route which will be a test of physical and mental strength but the race is not my own. I will be running it with over 3 million orphans in mind. At present, South Africa is home to over 3.5 million orphans and the number is set to increase to over 5 million by 2015.

It is this realization that makes me feel the urgency to act now. If we don’t take action now, millions of children will grow up to become broken members of society. By running this race twice, I am hoping people will come alongside these children, either as mentors, foster parents or even adopt the children because Newkidz believes there is no such thing as an unwanted child but just an unfound family. However, we understand that not everyone is able to adopt or foster a child, but we call upon members of society to give whatever they can towards this cause. Whether it is financial support or volunteering to help out at the extreme makeovers Newkidz conducts regularly.

To support Mission Possible please visit www.newkidz.org.za and click on: Support Edeline

Sweet smell of success

Once the dust settles from a great adventure one needs to calm down and take stock. The first edition of Mission Possible was a success, not in the sense of having the numbers but in that we all left feeling change was coming. Ascending up Lion’s Head were men, women and children who had one thing in mind, the vision of a better city, better lives and better homes for the underprivileged children we may never get to see face to face.

While sitting and waiting for people to arrive, a million thoughts were reeling through my head. Questions about whether anyone would turn up were put to rest when the first individual arrived. That was the greatest victory of all and had no one else turned up, the mission would still have been regarded as a success.

Though I thought I understood what Mission Possible was all about, Saturday 2 March brought about a whole new revelation. Success is not necessarily being the richest, smartest or most beautiful but it is doing what you can to the best of your ability and being able to sleep at night knowing you did all you possibly could. 

Furthermore, success is not simply a lack of failure but it is the ability to see a new opportunity at every turn. The first edition saw us gain ground towards our target. As we continue building our little Rome on Behalf of Newkidz on the Block, we hold our heads high not for pride’s sake but because we embrace life and the mandate placed upon each individual to live and let live.