In June 2024, twenty-one College students returned from the 14-day St George's Cycle Challenge.
The group cycled from Gobabis, Namibia, to Botswana. They spent the next six days cycling through Botswana to the Caprivi Strip of Namibia. For the last few days, they cycled through the Caprivi Strip to Rundu. After cycling approximately 500km, they returned to Windhoek with the school bus.
The St George's Round Square Cycle Challenge was started by the late Mrs Hella Rust, College teacher and HOD, in 2016 as part of the Adventure component of our Round Square programme at St George's. We have dedicated the Cycle Challenge to her; thus, the shirts that everyone was wearing had the hashtag #iride4hella. She played a pivotal role in Namibian cycling and impacted many of our students.
The trip aims for students to challenge themselves beyond their physical, mental or emotional limits.
"After the first 5 km, I felt like I would never get through this. The first night in Gobabis, our tents and fingers were frozen," said Kayley Oehley (Gr 10). According to Kayley, every day, there were challenges and successes! "I created new friendships, had opportunities I would never experience otherwise, and I found a love for a sport (cycling) I never thought I would," she said.
"One evening, we were woken up and told to move slowly out of our tents and into the bus because lions were heard nearby. Somehow, the teachers remained calm and safely got us onto the bus. Luckily, the lions were on a separate farm. Either way, we were safe with our teachers, who always prioritised our safety."
"While camping in Botswana, we found ourselves less than 50 meters away from the elephants at a waterhole. Witnessing the calmness of the animals and being so close to nature was unforgettable. The elephants had rummaged through our trash bin the previous evening, and we woke up to find the bin overturned with elephant footprints near the camp."
"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. We realised we were in good hands and that we would get through it together no matter the challenges we faced! Most of us thought we would not get through this challenging experience, but we soon realised it was over quicker than we expected and made it!"
"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," said Shayan Azadeh (Gr 9).
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