St George’s Diocesan School Cycle Challenge – Adventure with a Purpose
21 College students from St George’s Diocesan School in Windhoek, Namibia participated in the School’s annual Cycle Challenge held between 6th and 20th of June.
The group spent 14 days cycling from Gobabis in eastern Namibia, to neighbouring country Botswana. “After the first 5 km, I felt like I was never going to get through this. The first night in Gobabis, our tents and fingers were frozen. We woke up to very cold weather, and most of us didn’t bring gloves, so we used cycling gloves to keep our hands warm. The initial days were a mix of battling the cold, dealing with frozen items, including getting used to outdoor living, like washing dishes in frozen conditions.” Says Grade 10 student Kayley Oehley. Students then cycled through Botswana to the Caprivi Strip of Namibia to Rundu. After journeying approximately 500km, they returned to Windhoek.
The rigorous trip aims to challenge students beyond their physical, mental or emotional limits whilst, discovering resilience and self-awareness.
According to Kayley, every day, there were challenges and successes! “One evening, we were woken up and told to move slowly out of our tents and into the bus because lions were heard nearby. Either way, we were safe with our teachers, who always prioritised our safety.” The encounters with wildlife continued at one of the Campsites in Botswana. “As we walked towards the waterhole, we found ourselves less than 50 meters away from the elephants. It was a unique and slightly scary experience, but witnessing the calmness of the animals and being so close to nature was unforgettable.”
Despite theses encounters, the tenacious cyclists ventured on. “Every day, the cycling got a little easier. It started with: “No way! Is it my turn already? I want to get to this distance today.” To eventually: ‘”Can I take your turn?” Whether the showers were cold or hot, tents were frozen or not, if we were cycling 40 km or 10 km, someone was always singing at the top of their lungs. created new friendships, had opportunities I would never experience otherwise and lastly, I found a love for a sport (cycling) I never thought I would,” Says Kayley.
“During the Cycle Challenge, I became more appreciative of the things I have been blessed with. I loved going through this experience with all the people that came with me. It will definitely be a memory I will always cherish,” says Grade Nine student Shayan Azadeh.
The Cycle Challenge was started in 2016 by the late Mrs Hella Rust, Head of Biology and Round Square Square Coordinator. It is part of the Adventure component of the Round Square Programme at St George’s. In her honour, St. George’s have dedicated the Cycle Challenge to her; thus, the shirts that everyone is pictured wearing has the hashtag #iride4hella. As a member of the Namibian Cycling Federation Committee, Hella played a pivotal role in Namibian cycling and positively impacted many students.
