Newlands runner embarks on 300km journey to support SA Guide-Dogs
Kevin Balfour, right, along with SA Guide-Dogs mobility instructor, Megan Reid and guide dog Xavier at the Claremont branch.
Image: Image supplied
Newlands runner Kevin Balfour will be pushing his body to the limits to raise funds for the SA Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind.
Mr Balfour will be doing a seven-day, 300km run through the Portuguese Camino to support SA Guide-Dogs, which have a branch in Claremont.
The run will take place from Wednesday May 28, starting in Porto, Portugal, and will finish on Tuesday June 3 in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Each of the seven days will see him do an equivalent of a marathon distance of over 42km.
Mr Balfour will also be honoring his late father, Neville Balfour, who was a big supporter of the SA Guide-Dogs and numerous charities. His father passed away in February at the age of 91 from cancer.
“I think that the work that the SA Guide-Dogs do is awesome, they help to change someone’s life and with this charity you can see that money raised goes towards raising and training a guide dog.”
Mr Balfour says guide dogs play an important role in helping the blind or partially sighted navigate their daily lives.
The retired engineer is self-funding his trip. He arranged his accommodation for his daily sleepovers and will be running with a backpack to keep his food and fluids.
He says he will also be eating at the various cafes and restaurants in the towns he will be running through. “I just want to enjoy the experience, I won’t push my running like an elite athlete.”
Mr Balfour, who is a member of the Western Province Cricket Club (WPCC) running club, has been an enthusiastic runner for over 30 years. He has completed the Two Oceans Marathon over 13 times, as well as the Cape Town Marathon, Knysna Marathon, Peninsula Marathon and the 80km Puffer trail run from Cape Point to the Waterfront.
So far, Mr Balfour has raised over R36 000 through Givengain and he is hoping to reach R50 000 by the end of his run.
National marketing manager of the SA Guide-dogs, Mothei Makhetha, says they are extremely grateful to Mr Balfour for his invaluable support in this fundraising initiative. “His commitment to our cause is truly commendable, and we sincerely appreciate his willingness to invest in our mission.”
To support Mr Balfour in his fundraising efforts, visit his Givengain page.