Boikie Monareng from Bela-Bela, better known as Iron Strong Man, or Run Boikie Run, embarked on a 1,923-kilometre cycling journey, all the way from the Cape Town CBD to Musina, as part of a fundraising and awareness campaign on mental health.

Monareng (42) departed from Cape Town on Monday, 9 October. His goal was to complete the distance within 10 days but, covering between 200 and 300 kilometres a day, he came cycling into Musina on Tuesday, 17 October, with a big smile on his face as he completed his mission on the ninth day. Musina Mayor Nkhanedzeni Godfrey Mawela was there to welcome and congratulate him upon his arrival.

Monareng said he had been planning for this trip for the past five years. His initial plan was to travel to Cape Town by bus, and then start the journey to Musina but, in the end, a Good Samaritan offered him a plane ticket. Monareng said that, although the trip had not been easy, he was overwhelmed by the support he received from the communities from the towns he passed along the way to Musina. “I was not aware that I was so popular until I saw hundreds of people from various towns receiving me with excitement on my way to Musina. It gave me such a warm feeling of happiness,” he said.

He wished to thank each and every one of his sponsors, who made sure that he had accommodation, food, and drinks along the way. He also conveyed his sincere gratitude to his fellow cyclist, Nakedi Mosehla, who joined him in Pretoria and cycled the rest of the way with him to Musina to offer encouragement on the long journey. He further thanked the traffic officials and Department of Health for providing him with escort vehicles and ambulances along the way.

Monareng is not only a cyclist but also a Comrades Marathon runner and a swimmer and has earned himself more than 3,000 medals in these sporting codes respectively. In April this year, he ran a distance of about 400km, from the Beitbridge Border Post to Bela-Bela, in four days.

He is currently preparing for his upcoming cycling challenge next year, from Egypt to Musina - a distance of more than 5,000 km. “It is double this distance, and I will achieve it. Completing this last journey from Cape Town to Musina was very good preparation for the upcoming one from Egypt to Musina. All I still need are sponsors to help me raise funds for the Run Boikie Foundation, which aims to raise awareness on mental health,” he said.