Wendell Bole talks to the RECORD
Wendell Bole, South African track cyclist and creator of Thaba Trails, speaks to the RECORD.
WENDELL Bole, South African track cyclist and creator of Thaba Trails, has his goal set on riding for charity.
Bole has been cycling since 1989, as a way for him to help his son recover from a serious leg injury. “The doctor told me my son would never walk normally again, to which I replied: ‘You don’t know me doctor’,” says Bole.
“So I bought us both bicycles and it just went from there.”
Bole, an accomplished middle distance runner in his youth, has been very successful in his cycling career, representing South Africa in 12 World Championships, winning two silver and two bronze medals.
“I’ve had a tough time of late, leaving me unable to cycle for extended periods of time,” he says.
”I broke my right shoulder at the World Champs in 2013 and, not long after my recovery, a trailer fell on me and broke my left shoulder and back, then, on my return in 2014, I got a cold, so I didn’t do so well there.
”In 2015, at the age of 65, I rode the Jo’burg to Sea charity ride, but, for the last 15 months, I’ve been out of the fold because of a fall during training which left me with internal bleeding.”
Bole has now set his sights on riding for charity, raising money over the past two years for an orphanage that is being built in Walkerville by Pastor Dr Michele Sutherland, from Hope In Jesus Ministry. The project name is Ethemba Village and 10 small houses are planned, and each will be home to eight orphans, with a widow as the house mother.
On Sunday, September 11, Bole will set off from Thaba Trails in Mulbarton. He started plotting a ride and came up with distance of 4 500, to symbolise R1 for every brick needed for a house.
“It’s easier to ask people for bricks than to ask for money,” he explains.
”Each brick will cost us R10, as we are making them ourselves. The block brick is the equal of four standard bricks.
”People have come forward and we are currently standing on 2,5 houses ,and I have set my goal on 10 houses.”
For more information, or to make donations, call 082 800 0981 or 082 955 8342, or e-mail to ethembavillage@gmail.com
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*Bole rides for Ethemba Village charity;
