They did it!
Barmy Grandad’s Army cyclists raised more than the R200,000 target they set themselves.
Proving that the wheels of learning go round and round forever, they discovered wisdoms beyond their already advanced years.
By Sunday, when they streamed in to the Nahoon Reef parking lot in mizzle, they had raised R340,000 for child surgery equipment and training funded by the Eyabantwana Trust for the Children.
But the ride had also raised the public profile of the trust, which was co-founded by cycle leader Professor Colin Lazarus in 1995.
The trust fills the equipment funding cracks for the paediatric surgery unit which spans our Frere and Cecilia Makiwane hospitals.
These doughty riders and their support crew were showered with love and appreciation. There were tears and relief after they had crossed 1,500km of SA roads in their dangerous, quixotic and thrilling pedalling pilgrimage.
There were also dramas. Prof Lazarus took a few falls on day two and had his kneecap screwed back on Thursday. He was there, bandaged and braced, and the moment the riders had stopped to form a half circle, they immediately called for their “corporal”! He put in a final burst on crutches and was soon placed in the centre of the group for the final photo.
This time the ride organisers went for social media, and posts from rider Dr Siphozonke Mafika hit 20,000 viewers.
A grandchild only days old was presented to a grandad, teens sang happy birthday to a dad, and tears flowed.
They had pounded out 1,500km for 14 days straight on a journey to raise enough cash to pay off a debt on a paediatric gastroscope already in action saving rural infants’ lives in East London.
They had pedalled from the Mapungubwe National Park on SA’s northern border on an odyssey that traversed diverse SA towns to bring it all home to Nahoon Reef, and loved ones.
The group had one word for the experience at Sunday morning’s chanted devotion — “Grateful!”
They then cycled the final 102km from Old Thomas River in cold conditions.
Trust spokesperson Trystan Viaene said: “These grandads have been paving the way for children’s surgery for over a decade.
“Each of these incredible riders has made an impactful difference on the departments of paediatric surgery. The Eyabantwana Trust is truly proud of what has been achieved over the past 14 days.”
A number of Grandads Army cyclists joined the originals near East London.
The originals were: paediatrician Dr Peter John Berlyn, 73, retired agricultural engineer James “Jimbo” Armstrong, 72, air conditioning specialist Gerald Berlyn, 70, retired educator William Hirst, 69, recently retired insurance manager Andrew “Cappie” Langtree, 65, IT specialist Randall Leendertz, 57, plumbing business owner Mac Richardson, 56, pastor Corné Pretorius, 54, and pathologist Dr Ziphozonke Mafika, 42.
Mafika said: “I never thought I would do something bigger when I picked up the bike 11 months ago and it changed how I defined success.
“Right now, I will do it again.”
Gerald Berlyn said: “Besides getting a bit fitter, it’s been a special time to spend with my brother.”
He marvelled at how “a bunch of different cultures can meld together and become a microcosm of what this country could be”.
