On the 26th of July we saw 340 mountain bikers from around the country arrive in the historical Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal, to take part in the 10th Old Mutual Radox iMfolozi MTB Challenge. The Hluhluwe- iMfolozi Park is one of the oldest reserves in the world, having been proclaimed in 1898, and is also the reserve where the last White Rhino were found in the 1890’s.
The iMfolozi Challenge was started by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife as a way of exposing the general public to the reserve and all its beauty – including the Big 5! This event is more than just a gruelling mountain bike ride and brings a group of passionate people together to assist in the conservation of South Africa’s incredible heritage. The funds from this event go directly towards conservation projects taking place in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park as well as other areas in and around KwaZulu – Natal. The ride focuses on the endangered African Wild Dog, a species which is in dire need of conservation assistance, with only 412 individuals remaining in South Africa.
The iMfolozi Challenge raised around R 400 000 which will be used for the conservation work of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Wildlands.
Over the past 10 years this event has raised over R 2 000 000 for conservation and allowed thousands of riders to experience the spectacular natural and spiritual beauty of the Imfolozi Wilderness area.
This race is not for the feint hearted, with rather steep climbs on rocky trails and the chance of encountering one of the Big 5 common, but for those that arrive at the finish line to a cold Powerade having accomplished such a challenging ride – it really is priceless.
Michael Trusler took first place in a time of 3 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds with Fred Paynter in second place and Peter Hodgkinson in third. Landy Puddu was the first lady to cross the finish line in a time of 3 hours, 23 minutes and 32 seconds with Tanya McKenzie in second place and Tracy Ibbetson in third.
With the help of dedicated Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife staff, Honorary Officers, the event organisers, Impi Concept Events and Wild Series (run by the Wildlands Conservation Trust), they put together an outstanding and unique experience for riders this year, not forgetting to include celebrations around the 10thanniversary.
“The introduction of Old Mutual as our Title sponsor is particularly exciting as it heralds a new era for the Wild Series,” said Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands. “Over the past decade Old Mutual have helped us develop our ‘Trees for Life’ and Community Challenge initiatives. Their support will enable us to expand the Series Nationally whilst insuring that the existing events continue to support local conservation and community development initiatives.”
“Old Mutual is proud to be the new title sponsor of the Wildlands Conservation Trust’s Wild Series events,” said Karen Thomas, Marketing Executive at Old Mutual. “We have a long-standing partnership with Wildlands from ten years ago when our Old Mutual Foundation became involved with their community-based Trees for Life project. This new sponsorship has strong links with our business on many levels. Firstly, endurance sports are a key pillar of Old Mutual’s sponsorship portfolio. Secondly, we believe in investing in partnerships that support a worthy cause – and the Wild Series is about giving back to conservation; it’s about protecting our heritage and securing its future. And thirdly, this partnership strongly resonates with Old Mutual’s philosophy to do business responsibly and focus on sustainability,” said Thomas. “We are very excited to see our partnership move into action. It was fantastic to spend the day in the beautiful iMfolozi game reserve, and to share in the experience and passion of the cyclists, their families and supporters.”
Radox Man, Mondi and Powerade (ABI) also contributed significantly towards making the iMfolozi MTB Challenge such a huge success. “The generosity of our sponsors, and the fact that they recognise the value of fundraising for such a worthy cause means the world to us as an organisation,” commented Wild Series Co-ordinator Xanthe Holmes. “The partnership of Wildlands and these event sponsors ultimately determines the survival of a species,” said Holmes.
“The 10th iMfolozi MTB Challenge was another great success, reinforcing the status of this event as one of South Africa’s premier one day mountain bike events,” said Dr Venter. “Not only does this event profile the spectacular natural beauty and spiritual value of iMfolozi, but it also raises significant funding for the conservation efforts of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Wildlands Conservation Trust. This is only possible through the combined efforts of the riders who support the event and our event sponsors, Old Mutual, Radox Man, Mondi and ABI.”
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)