GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - "Put your hands on your head! Put your hands on your shoulders! Put your hands on your knees. That is what it is all about and turn!"
Attempting to do the turn, the group of all male cyclists slides around on their cleats much to the delight of the children watching them.
It is exactly this dancing that makes the Xtreme for Kids Cycle Tour that arrived in Graaff-Reinet on Sunday evening, 3 March, the most unique cycle tour in South Africa.
Not only do the participating cyclists have to deal with extreme distances and challenges like heat and wind, but they also have to commit to taking part in a school child safety programme with a huge rural impact.
The Xtreme for Kids Cycle Tour saw the light when 2013 three businessmen responded to a challenge by General Arno Lamoer (the then SAPS Provincial Commissioner of the Western Cape).
He challenged men to stand up against child abuse, as more of 90% of all sexual perpetrators in South Africa is male. The group, under the leadership of extreme athlete, Dirk Lourens, collaborated with hostage survivor, Monique Strydom and her organisation Matla A Bana - A Voice Against Child Abuse to host an 11-day cycle tour from Johannesburg to Cape Town, ending the tour with participation in the Cape Argus.
The tour set off on 27 February, and after having already cycled through Randfontein, Parys, Kroonstad, Welkom and Cradock among other towns, arrived in Graaff-Reinet on Sunday.
Then, early Monday morning, 4 March, the cyclists, accompanied by a small theatre production and members of the local SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit, put on a show at Union Preparatory School focussing on child protection.
During the show, Smiley, a special child protection character, educated the primary school children about "tricksters" and the tricks they use to trap children. One of the focus areas is the danger of social media.
"There are many cycle tours similar to ours," explains organiser Monique Strydom, "but none of them has the impact on local communities like this one has. This tour is not only about extreme cycling, but it is about extreme emotions and extreme impact and lives being changed. During the last six years of its existence, more than 40 000 children were reached in rural areas where this kind of programme is seldom seen."
"The success rate of completion of the this Xtreme tour, is not very high," explains tour leader Dirk Lourens, who rates this as one of the most difficult cycling challenges in South Africa. "This is not about physical endurance only, it is about mental strength. To cycle for such a long period - up to 13 hours a day- facing extreme heat and strong winds and still be positive, is not for everyone."
Up to date, only 10% of cyclists who have participated in the tour have managed to complete the whole tour. In 2018, only four team cyclists (with an average age of 46 years) completed the tour.
"This cycling tour is a life-changing experience," says Lt Col André Van Rooyen, a SAPS National Team cyclist from Graaff-Reinet.
His is echoing the sentiment of many of the 45 plus cyclists who have participated in this tour during the last six years.
For most of the cyclists, this tour of 1 890km, starts out as an endurance cycle challenge but quickly becomes a stark reminder of the dangers children in South Africa face every day.
At some time during every tour, the cyclists come to the realisation that child abuse is a reality, especially when they see the heads of kids dropping down during the school visits.
"We hope that these kids will look up to these incredible cyclists and inspire to be like them one day. Living their passion and by doing so helping others," concluded Monique Strydom.
Smiley, a special child protection character, educated the primary school children about "tricksters" and the tricks they use to trap children. One of the focus areas is the danger of social media.
Early Monday morning, the cyclists put on a show at Union Preparatory School focussing on child protection.
For most of the cyclists, this tour of 1 890km, starts out as an endurance cycle challenge but quickly becomes a stark reminder of the dangers children in South Africa face every day.
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