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A solo 1 000km run over 30 days is not for the faint-hearted. But that is exactly what extreme adventurer Gaven Sinclair completed earlier this month after clocking up the kilometres running along the coastline from Gqeberha to Cape Town.
It was all for a good cause, Gaven tells YOU. He partnered with lifestyle programme Syntro-P Wellbeing as an ambassador for their Heel2Heal Challenge, which raises awareness for people living with chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, eating disorders and asthma.
Gaven (48) says the aim of his 1 000-km run was to encourage people to “make that 1mm shift” and take small steps every day towards living a life of health and wellness. Gaven lives with chronic fatigue and has an iron deficiency so he knows what it's like to implement changes to improve your life. He is also dyslexic.
The journey along the coast was challenging, Gaven admits, and he had to run on the beach and over sharp jagged rock cliff areas as well as along the N2, trails and dirt roads. “Because it was solo and unsupported it means you don’t have people following you. You literally run by yourself, carrying your food, water and whatever else you need on your back. I ran with my backpack that weighed 15kg,” Gaven says.
Other challenges included running out of water and planning logistics every day to ensure he completed each stage in time to get to his accommodation. “I had to pace myself and listen to my body. I developed a few black toenails, had an ankle issue and my back was giving me a bit of difficulty towards the end because of the backpack. Then of course you deal with extreme weather,” he says.
But he says it was all worth it because through his journey he wanted to show people how important it is to get up and get moving. “The run was basically to inspire the individual, communities and the nation to make that 1mm shift in their own lives. If you look at the figures, over 60% of us are diagnosed with chronic disease. So the idea is if you are healthy, you are happier,” he says.
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This is not the first extreme challenge for Gaven, who is also a life coach and motivational speaker.
Over the past six years, the professional extreme endurance adventurer has done five solo and unsupported challenges to raise funds and awareness for various causes. “In 2017 I cycled from Cape to Cairo, in 2018 I ran 4 000km over a few months through four African countries, in 2019 I did an island swim north of Mozambique. And in 2020 I did a 388-km beach run. It was a great honour to complete all these challenges,” Gaven says.
He took some breathtaking pictures during his recent 1 000-km run to document the natural beauty of the land.
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For Gaven, who has enjoyed an adventurous lifestyle since the age of 20, the best part of extreme challenges is the people he meets along the way. “I get to meet the most amazing, fascinating people who inspire and motivate me and the kindness and humanity out there stand out for me.”
Gaven adds he had “amazing support” along the way and looks forward to future extreme challenges. “For 2022 I am definitely doing another solo and unsupported challenge, maybe a cycle or a canoe or run on a massive scale.”
To those who want to start a healthier lifestyle, Gaven says the important thing is to take that first step and things will then unfold as they should. “Fall forward in life, not backwards. That is the key.”
