 
Damian Bradley
Age: 30
Occupation:
Director / Owner of B-Active Sports Marketing
What I do:
I plan, organise sports events and races around KZN. I create and market sporting events for Sponsors and athletes so that they are able to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and have fun with their family and friends in a safe environment.
Who am I:
I’m a Cyclists and triathlete. I’m competitive at times, but mostly do it for the fun aspect. I have raced two Ironman events and been selected on the SA Team for two ITU World Triathlon Championship events
Well, to be honest, the Charity Cycle was a big red carrot put infront of me by some silly training mates in October 2006. I mean who in their right mind would want to cycle 320km and spend 11hrs on the smallest most uncomfortable seat known to man! But the excitement and challenge of it was too much, so 5 training mates and I signed up with another 20 crazy cyclists to do what seemed the biggest challenge of my life. The aspect of raising money for charity was also a great incentive and I was luckily sponsored the entrance fee by friends and family. 
We need to realise that It’s not often that you get the chance to be part of something meaningful which will benefit others, while achieving something so challenging! The fact that our training group had started our base training for the 2007 Ironman triathlon was an added benefit and slotting 320km into your weekly training roster, was a big plus, not to mention something that not many people have done before! I am not going to go on with how the day unveiled and how tough or exciting the route from Little Switzerland to Durban is, that is something that each and every rider needs to find out and experience for themselves. However it was the biggest sporting challenge I have ever undertaken in my life, yes bigger then both Ironman events I’ve done or competing at World Tri Champs. The 320 Charity Cycle is not a race, nor a ride, no not even an event, but it’s an experience that you can’t pass up!
Mike Lewis
  How does one justify wanting to cycle 320 kilometres in one day? The challenge, the uniqueness, the camaraderie, the madness or simply the goal of helping others less blessed? It is a combination of all this and more that words will never be able to express. A huge hurdle yet well within the grasp of most active people. Let me sketch my background. I am well in my fifties, lazy and a very average athlete. I would class myself as a social rider and something of a hybrid as I enjoy both road and mountain biking. Two years ago, I decided, together with a training group known loosely as “Club Cappuccino”, to ride the 320k Charity ride. It turned out to be one of those hidden defining moments in my life and forced me to examine my physical health minutely for the 12 hours that I rode. Having had a mother afflicted with polio, I had always appreciated my mobility but would never have imagined that I could ride that distance. It was achievable, not easy, but definitely manageable. The flood of emotions that washed over me when I finished was a mixture of tears, laughter, pain, relief, pride, accomplishment, joy only matched by the memories of finishing the Comrades marathon the first time. The second year was just as good but tinged with regret that I didn’t do the full monty and was transported for about 60k by car. Does that deter me, never, this year, I’ll do the full ride. What have I achieved….. for Mike Lewis, nothing much physically but I am so aware of the need to help in some way, the aids crisis hurting our wonderful land and people. I really had thought I had done my bit for humanity when my wife and I adopted Zulu twins at birth 9 years ago. Like so much in life, I found that I was the one being blessed and loved and fulfilled by my children. I was the one enriched and probably, I was the one adopted by them. My vision was enlarged and I was the one who needed input from children. I’m finding the same principle at work in just helping our future generations. If I can further help in some tiny way, the time and pain and training sacrifice is a small price to pay to see caring individuals loving and nurturing aids and poverty stricken children. Besides, I actually enjoy riding my bicycle.
Athol Dand
  When the six of us set out to do the first ride, it was evident that not all of us were prepared for the rigours of the day. Having given it some thought and read articles by cyclists who had attempted similar rides, I prepared chicken sandwiches, nuggets and various other small meals. However one of our group (he shall remain nameless) arrived with one energy bar and truly believed this was enough to get him to Durban. Needless to say, my cooler box was visited or numerous occasions by this unnamed person during the course of the day.
I Started out by running the Comrades Marathon in 1980 because some mates were involved. Thought I would do another one so that I had an UP and a DOWN to my name but somehow kept going until the year 2000. My times in these 21 runs a were between 6 hours 3 minutes and 7 hours 31 minutes (the first one). During this time I represented KZN on the road and cross country and received both Natal and SA colours. An arthritic knee put an end to my running career but cycling offered an excellent way of staying fit, healthy and competitive. I had stated cycling in the late 80's mainly to take part in Duathlons and the PMB-Durban race (before it was known as the Amashova). I then took to cycling more seriously in the late 90's when it was apparent that my running career was coming to an end. I have been lucky enough to have done quite well as an an age grouper and have KZN colours for cycling.
Doctor Pierre Wasserman
 
We are very blessed in KZN with beautiful weather and landscapes. Cycling is diverse and you can choose between a fast ride to Ballito on the road bike or a more backbreaking ride on a mountain bike through sugar cane valleys and rivers to Ballito and back. I chose on Saturday the 15th of December 2007 a mountain bike ride that changed my perception about myself and about people around me to a great extend.
We left early dawn, the sun just smiling to announce a beautiful blessed day for those who had the courage to attempt the usual 70km ride to Balito through the sugarcane. (Tongaat Hulett recently granted licenses to the local riders, and we can now ride on more than 150Kms of dirt roads without the fear of a fast black Volkswagen Polo bumping you from the road or a slow heavy vehicle infringing into the yellow line robbing you of your life. Thanks to Tongaat Hullett). We had a stunning ride. Life was blessed and this was the way to live!
No ride is complete without discussing each other's ride, complimenting the skill and endurance of everybody and bond like just men can do who shared the special moment of able bodies, single track and accomplishment. At the coffee shop, we were surprised and welcomed by the presence of the one and only Phil Leggitt, the famous Tour de France TV presenter. He was the honorary guest that morning, invited by Chris Greenham, to promote the 320 km ride in aid of the Aids Orphanage in Umhlanga. Who can resist an invitation if you can cycle along Phil Legitt and Shark rugby players: John Slade and Ian Garvey? Nobody can, especially considering that Chris and Sheryl converted a part of their house to cherish and care for 25 abandoned HIV/Aids babies. Anyway, I was convinced that I am able to complete three Arguses straight after the other!
Well, as my wife says, I run where angels dare to tread and without a second thought we, 80 cyclists, left the Sunday, 16 December 2007, to Little Switzerland in the Midlands where we would have an early start for the 320 km back to Durban. I was greatly unprepared. I packed no extra food or water bottles for the ride. How much do you need in any case if you are just having a relaxed ride? My main aim was to raise as much money that friend and foe who knows me, are willing to give this very daring and amazing effort of mine to help disadvantaged babies. I sent a sms to everyone in my address book. I asked one rand for each kilometre I was going to ride. The response was just amazing. Over R10 000 was pledged… if I cycled each and every kilometre of the planned route!! Replies to my sms were rather encouraging: Phil Pearse - "Sure thing - but I will not pay for hospital bill", Jan Thalma: "Klink vir my na 'n seersit affere! Gary Cloete: "If you finish, I will buy the whole orphanage!" So, you don't know me after all Gary, never knew I had so much tenacity! Betaal broer! Chris: " Is jy nou heeltemal mal?" Nasser Khan: "Only if you finish" Thanks, Nasser we are both men of our word!
Excitement was tangible and Monday 4h30, yes no typing error, the long ride started with 50 km's of downhill. Easy peezy. It seemed like a breeze and everyone was in high spirits, joking and laughing. Sunrise gave us hills and as the day dawned, fun changed colour to rethinking my "mallighed". The first few hills at Ladysmith and Escourt, followed by Mooiriver and Nottingham road were achievable but it was at Maritzburg… The smiles became grimaces. We could feel the 220 kilometres beating our backs, legs, butts just to name a few places. Realization set in. Life was hard. Cycling at that moment was terrible. My only motivation was the babies, unknown and disadvantaged. Foxhill, a 19km climb out of Pietermaritzburg tested my endurance, played with my mind and was there to murder me. It was a hellish hot in December (40 degrees) and we still had 100ks to go!
The Valley of a Thousand Hills became reality, and we suffered like never before. Cyclist was fading out like flies - mainly due to the heat and dehydration. I peddled slowly up Drummond, Inchanga, past the Comrades Runners' Wall of Achievers, Heidi's Padstall, not thinking about anything or anybody. It was only me, myself and I. When we reached Botha's Hill the police came to the rescue. We stopped, replenished our bodies with fluid, stretched the legs, and ate anything and everything we thought that could pull us through the last 50 kilometres.
I straddled my bike, determined to make this enemy my friend. Great thanks to the Traffic Police. They paved the way through traffic, stopped cars and announced our arrival. It was magnificent. Vehicles let us through, had respect for the warriors on their bicycles and we sped past them.
We arrived at our destination in Durban 13 hours after we started. The reception was incredible. We were on a high. I was ecstatic with joy. I never felt such an accomplishment as at that moment. About 25 of us cycled the whole distance, but the encouragement from the cyclists from the sweep cars made each and everyone a winner. They gave us water and food during the ride and were there when they thought we were going down. Thanks, you were great.
I went home and was a hero in the eyes of my boys and wife. The true heroes however are the people who pluck up the courage to be compassionate and care for the less fortunate. I admire them, because they "cycle" more than 320km every day to care for babies and children. In perspective, this was a small drop in the bucket to help my fellow man or child.
I lost 5 kg's and was cramping in every muscle imaginable. I could not sit properly for a few days, but gradually regained strength and was back on the road by the next weekend.
Will I ever do it again? NO!
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