Look at the Gogos go!

Wow! The Sport Heroes arrived in Tzaneen to a sumptous and most generous welcome. Firstly they were greeted with a fruit lunch at the municipal hall (talk about a healthy lifestyle!) after which all were given ‘padkos’ as well. The mayor gave a short but impassioned speech, and it was clear to all that this municipality paid more than lip service to the HIV/AIDS scourge.

On the way to the Nkowakowa Stadium, venue for the coaching clinics, the Heroes had a parade that was joined by about two hundred people from the surrounding community.

Gogo in action during the coaching clinic

The subsequent clinic was one of the most disciplined and well-organised events of the Walk so far. And what made it unique was the participation of several of the area’s gogo (grandmother) football teams, who not only took part in the clinic, but treated everyone to a ten minute soccer game. Most laughter erupted when one gogo lost here shoe while kicking the ball!The seriousness of HIV/AIDS and brought home most vividly when the Heroes visited St Anne’s, a care centre about 50km from Tzaneen, in rural Limpopo. It’s home to more than sixty orphaned and mistreated children, many of them sick with TB and other AIDS-related illnesses. For an hour or so the Heroes danced and sang with the children, who seemed to have boundless amounts of energy.

St Anne’s good work was rewarded later the day when a donation from the Sport Heroes Walk was presented to the care centre.

The heat is slowly picking up, and will probably not relent for the rest of the Walk. Yet, especially after the success of the Tzaneen day, the Heroes are in high spirits. ‘Everyone is keen to do their part of the Walk each day, and support staff are also now doing some walking’, says Mbabala, the Walk’s logistics manager.

Tomorrow the Walk takes the Heroes through the beautiful surroundings outside Tzaneen. It’s an uphill affair though, so could be tough on the non-professional runners. Their next stop is Polokwane, provincial capital.