During a discussion between the Director at our Rehab Facility and myself about bikes and adventures, we came upon the idea of riding all the way to Kenya and to climb Kilimanjaro.
We were daydreaming and chewing the fat about such a trip.
This was in the beginning of December last year.
That night I lay in bed, having visions of riding through Africa, climbing ‘Kili” and the likes when an idea began making it’s way in my head.
Dave Barber is the Director of the Drug and Alcohol Rehab/restoration facility in Walkerville Gauteng: Walking With Winners-Addicts Against Drugs and I am the resident Counselor/Therapist.
The Idea: Let’s take six of the guys on the program, train them, get them as fit as possible and put them on adventure bikes and let’s ride to Kenya together and when we arrive there, let’s tackle this mountain called Kilimanjaro and conquer it.
What a way for guys, struggling to overcome an addiction, to prove to themselves and everybody else, that nothing is impossible.
But then – the idea grew some more:
Get six astute businessmen, CEO`s of companies and invite them to join this whole shebang. Put them on bikes as well and then, let them `adopt` a `junkie` each. They will ride together, share accommodation, face challenges, breakdowns and whatever together.
During this trip, the CEO will be a mentor to the recovering addict. He will share life skills, business skills and everything else on living life to the point of success with the protégé`.
At the same time, the recovering addict will possibly teach the CEO about the `other side` of life. That not everything revolves around board meetings and the like.
And so, together we will grow.
But yet again, that`s not all folks.
It`s an adventure trip, on bikes. To one of the most majestic mountains in Africa, a trip that will start in Walkerville, to the South of Johannesburg, Gauteng and it will end about four weeks later back in Walkerville. a Round trip of about 6500 Km, taking us through Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania into Kenya and back through, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe to home.
Guys on fourteen bikes, experiencing the trip of a lifetime.
But a trip like this can not be allowed to go unnoticed, so, here is the plan:
We will cart along a service and film crew in 4 x 4 vehicles (five of them) and the whole venture, from start to finish will be documented for television broadcast as both a `reality show` and a documentary.
Discussions are underway with film producer, sponsors and the like.
Each member of the bike squad, will be equipped with on board camera and mike to record their actions and feelings. Each guy will be equipped with an I-pad or such like and everyone will `blog` their daily experiences (via satellite) and post it to our website and other social-interaction sites (Facebook, twitter etc) and family, friends and people following the trip can interact with the guys.
What a trip, what an adventure!
If all goes well, and we believe it will, we intend to be on the road in September.
Watch this space. Soon we will announce who the business men will be and we will let you know who the guys from the rehab will be.
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