Running to promote health
KNYSNA - Adventurer Gaven Sinclair stopped over in Knysna earlier this week as part of his 1 000km run from Gqeberha to Cape Town in promotion of healthier lifestyles and well-being.
The challenge is an unassisted solo run over harsh terrain and in unpredictable climates, but Sinclair believes that people face many a challenge in their daily lives - be it mental illness, heart conditions, diabetes or obesity. “This is something I’ve wholly embraced. To live a healthier lifestyle makes such a difference in our lives, and all it takes is a 1mm shift to just get going and be healthy,” he said.
He had lived in Mozambique for a few years before returning to live in Johannesburg this year. He has however been spending quite a bit of time in Gqeberha recently in preparation for the run. Sinclair is also the official ambassador for wellness company BrandMed’s Syntro-P Wellbeing programme.
His journey to the Mother City, dubbed the Heel2Heal challenge, sees him running the 1 000km in 30 days, having set out from Nelson Mandela Bay on 1 October. Sinclair (48), who is also a global brand ambassador, life coach, motivational speaker and activist against child trafficking, is taking on the run to promote a healthier lifestyle among South Africans. He stopped over in Knysna on Monday 11 October, spending the night at the Turbine Hotel.
Sinclair aims to do as much of his run as possible on beaches because it is better for one’s health as the air is cleaner and the noise pollution lower. “The challenge lies when I have to run inland, off the beach, to try and traverse a river mouth or something and then get back to the beach,” he said. “This significantly adds to my distance, which does make it tougher.”
Sinclair is no stranger to tough terrain and long distance challenges though, having run 4 000km unsupported across four African countries in 2018 and completing an island swim north of Mozambique to the mainland the following year. In 2020, he completed a 388km beach run along the coastline of Mozambique.
But the Heel2Heal isn’t without its own challenges, such as the tough terrain mentioned before, and the time frame given to Sinclair. “My previous challenges have sort of been on my own time. I could finish them at a pace I see fit and take more than enough rest days,” he said. “So having a bit of a deadline for this does make it a bit tougher.”
Sinclair hopes to complete his journey by 30 October.