A total of 230 members of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) Military Academy in Saldanha Bay took part in a gruelling 10-day odyssey from Nelson Mandela Bay — all for charity.
The exercise involved nine teams comprising students and the SANDF academy’s training command unit, including land, cycling, media, sign and sea teams.
They left Port Elizabeth on Thursday 23 November with two inflatable rubber ducks and 10 mountain bikes, while runners travelled along the N2 and secondary roads leading to and from the N2. Towns they visited were Jeffrey’s Bay, Pletterberg Bay, George, Still Bay, Struis Bay, Hermanus, Cape Town and eventually, Saldanha.
While the cycling team travelled the distance from town to town on their bicycles, the sea team travelled by rubber boat and the land team by car to raise funds and prepare the way for their teammates. The running team jogged an average of 10 km per day.
The teams also participated in various community projects en route.
“The aim of the exercise is to provide dynamic military training to the students of the Military Academy in order to enhance command and control and military leadership skills,” explains Brig Gen Mafi Mgobozi, Director Defence Corporate Communication.
“Team Masiza, the Academy’s community service, which participated in the event conducted community services to raise funds for Stellenbosch University’s Maties Community Service welfare projects.
The group managed to raise just over R28 000.
The sea and land (running and cycling) teams arrived at Pepper Bay, Saldanha on Saturday 2 December at around 14:00 in high spirits.
Mayor Marius Koen was also there to greet the teams and congratulated them on this achievement.
