Busa embarks on 1700km journey to highlight cause
AYEAR ago Katrina Busa could barely pedal 5km on her new bike, but last Friday she embarked on a 1 700km, one-month journey from Durban to Cape Town in a bid to keep her late mother’s charity work alive.
When her mother, tireless charity worker Beverly Busa died from breast cancer in December 2015, Busa, 23, knew she had to pay tribute to her by drawing attention to the good work she had done. Her mother helped found an NPO called Family Voluntary Services which helps underprivileged children get through school.
“Though small, they help to raise funds for more than 20 children from informal settlements to attend proper schools,” said Busa, who recently moved to Durban.
“They do this by subsidising school fees, running a volunteering programme and collecting donations for children’s transport, uniform and school supplies.”
Inspired by East London endurance athlete Kim van Kets, who ran, cycled and kayaked 6 772km around the periphery of South Africa six years ago and explorer Riaan Manser who circumnavigated the African continent by bicycle – both of whom she has met – she decided to embark on her own epic cycle and called it Kat’s Cycle Adventu
“With this cycle I am attempting to draw attention to the important issue of education – or lack thereof – in the Eastern Cape,” she said.
When the Daily Dispatch first interviewed her in September last year, Busa’s intention was to spend 100 days in the saddle cycling a circular 5 000km coastal highway route from East London and back, but finances and security concerns meant her plan had to be toned down.
“I wanted to have a back-up vehicle but didn’t have the budget for that so I decided to do a shorter ride and be accompanied by my boyfriend Kristopher Richter.”
The duo set off from Durban at 7am on Friday and yesterday were cycling towards Kokstad where they planned to spend a rest day before making their way down the N2 through the Wild Coast to their hometown.
“We plan to be in East London around Monday and Wednesday next week and will stay with family,” said Busa after a sleepover in Harding.
“We are averaging from 70km 80km per day.”
Busa, who is self-funding the trip, made beaded bracelets to pay for the journey and hopes to raise money for Family Voluntary Services by attracting sponsors to her website and Facebook page, both called Kat’s Cycle Adventure.
“After not being able to cycle 5km when I started training a year ago, I feel so fit and more positive about life now that I can cycle 80km a day.” — to