DIT is skuins na tienuur op hierdie bewolke, koel ogggend \u2013 grys wolke bo die dynserige Kougaberge hou die belofte van broodnodige re\u00ebn in. <\/p>\n
Oud langafstand-atleet Audie Claassen (68) van Kareedouw kom veerkragtig en vol selfvertroue aangestap om te groet. Sweetpakbaadjie en stapskoene . . . gereed om die pad berg-op te vat. Al gaan dit deesdae soms sukkel-sukkel, is hy vasbeslote.<\/p>\n
Hy stop by die agterdeur \u2013 netnou vlieg die kokketiel op sy skouer weg.<\/p>\n
Eers wanneer jy nader aan hom is, merk jy die tekens van \u2019n gevorderde leeftyd aan sy lyf en gesig.<\/p>\n
Dit, en vele ander terugslae, keer hom egter nie om 1 000km vir liefdadigheid te stap nie. <\/p>\n
Want vir Claassen is elke spier in sy lyf en elke asemteug \u2019n tweede kans op die lewe. Slegs 15 maande terug het hy \u2019n nuwe hartklep gekry \u2013 en daarmee saam \u2019n nuwe, onblusbare lewenslus.<\/p>\n
Di\u00e9 operasie volg na hy op tienjarige ouderdom vir die eerste keer rumatiekkoors opgedoen het. Drie jaar later weer. En nog drie keer daarna.<\/p>\n
Staptog<\/strong> <\/p>\n Claassen, wat op 1 Mei weggespring het en reeds nagenoeg 100km gestap het, beplan om sowat 15km tot 20km per dag te stap. Volgens hom speel die weer `n groot rol op die afstand wat hy per dag afl\u00ea.<\/p>\n Indien alles volgens plan verloop, sal die staptog sowat agt maande neem. Oftewel meer as 200 ure.<\/p>\n Die roete: vanaf sy huis berg-op en berg-af, asook deur die dorp \u2013 dit is nou as hy vroeg genoeg uit die vere is.<\/p>\n Elke kilometer word noukeurig in \u2019n boek aangeteken.<\/p>\n Hy beoog om minstens R100 000 vir die Hartstigting en die Christiaan Barnard-hospitaal in te samel \u2013 twee organisasies wat vir nagenoeg ses dekades na sy welstand \u2013 veral sy hart \u2013 omgesien het.<\/p>\n Claassen, \u2019n lid van die Charlo Atletiekklub in Port Elizabeth, glimlag: \u201cDit is nou my beurt om terug te gee. Hoe meer geld ons kry, hoe meer mense kan gehelp word.\u201d<\/p>\n Min kry hom onder<\/strong> <\/p>\n Terugslae is iets waarmee hy goed vertroud is. <\/p>\n Claassen is nie net \u2019n bekende voormalige langafstand-atleet in Kareedouw nie, maar het ook gereeld aan wedlope in Kaapstad, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Despatch, Uitenhage, Grahamstad, Graaff Reinet en omliggende dorpe deelgeneem.<\/p>\n In 1986 het hy die Comrades-marathon voltooi \u2013 ten spyte van \u2019n maagseer, ontwatering en nier- en lewerversaking \u2013 asook die Two Oceans-marathon, drie keer.<\/p>\n In Julie 2018, moes hy noodgedwonge sy hardloopskoene ophang. \u2019n Hartaaanval \u2013 slegs 2km van sy huis af het hom platgetrek. Sy een hartklep is in Januarie, verlede jaar met `n staalklep vervang.<\/p>\n Vasbeslote om weer die langpad aan te durf, het Claassen in Augustus 2019 aan sy eerste padwedloop deelgeneem – al het hy dit gestap.<\/p>\n Slegs drie maande later, het hy sy hardloopskoene finaal opgehang. \u2019n Baie moeilike, maar noodsaaklike besluit.<\/p>\n Nou stap hy net om fiks te bly. En vir liefdadigheid.<\/p>\n Help so<\/strong> <\/p>\n Finansi\u00eble skenkings kan gemaak word aan Charlo Atletiekklub by Standard Bank, rekeningnommer 080174302, verwysing 1 000km Staptog.<\/p>\n \u201cElke donasie maak \u2019n verskil, hoe klein dit ook al is. Dit sal gesamentlik `n groot verskil maak in die lewe van mense wat dit nodig het,\u201d s\u00ea Claassen. \u201cElke sent wat ek ontvang, gaan na die twee organisasies.\u201d <\/p>\n Vir meer inligting, skakel Claassen by 082 451 5205 of besoek sy Facebook-blad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Staal hartklep en al, stap Audie Claassen (68) van Kareedouw kilometer na kilometer om lewensreddende geld vir verskeie liefdadigheidsorgansasies in te samel. Hy beoog om nagenoeg R100 000 in te samel.monique bassonhet met hom 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