FEEL GOOD | Running duo take on Table Mountain’s 13 Peaks in aid of Child Abuse Victims
Sabine Muller (57) a physiotherapist, athlete and mother of two, from Hout Bay, Cape Town, is getting ready to take on the 13 Peaks, an epic Table Mountain adventure, alongside her running partner, Vuyo Spamla (47), to benefit abused children. Vuyo has one daughter and works as a domestic worker in Hout Bay and Camps Bay.
New Heights
Sabine and Vuyo are looking forward to the 13 Peaks challenge, a 100km, 6000m ascent route tagging 13 peaks of the Cape Peninsula, which starts on 29 October 2022.
While not seen as a race, but an opportunity to experience the beautiful nature that surrounds Cape Town, Sabine and Vuyo are training long and hard to complete the challenge in under 48 hours.
Sabine says that her life changed, and her passion for running ignited almost a decade ago, when her sister challenged her to train for the Meiringspoort Half Marathon in 2015
Sabine has since completed several marathons, 3 Two Oceans, 4 Comrades, 3 PUFfeRs, 3 Skyruns, a multi-day 13 Peaks with her Hout Bay Trail Runners, and loads of other races over the years.
“I have gained the fitness; stamina to deal with 12-hour physical work days whilst being a wife and mother; I have made friends with amazing like-minded individuals who have become close friends, including Vuyo; and I have gotten to enjoy the mountains around Cape Town and further afield as my running moved to include the trails.” – says Sabine
Peak for Purpose
Wanting to give back by using the 13 Peaks challenge as a vehicle, Sabine and Vuyo have launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to raise R100 000 for a non-profit organisation, Friends of Child Protection.
Friends of Child Protection (FCP) , which relies entirely on volunteers and donations, distributes comfort packs to children across the Western Cape who have survived a violent assault.
The packs provide comfort and dignity to children during a very traumatic time in their lives. The packs include snacks, underwear, face cloths and soap, a fun activity, a teddy bear to cuddle and other age-appropriate items including nappies and formula for the babies.
Friends of Child Protection packages and distributes an average of 1200 comfort packs every 2 months, which cost between R80-R120 each to produce.
“The number of packs requested consistently exceeds the number the organisation can supply and in December more packs are needed than any other month. Vuyo and I need your help to be able to reach every child in need this December” says Sabine
Since the launch of their campaign, Sabine and Vuyo have raised almost R29 000 with kind contributions from 32 donors.