Queen Butterfly receives support from runner
'These children are always in my heart, and I wanted to do something for them'
The 46-year-old Zach Mothlabane will be using his love for running to create awareness and raise much-needed funds for the Queen Butterfly Foundation.
He has run the Comrades Marathon for 11 years, and has decided that this year, he will dedicate his 89km run to an organisation close to his heart. “I met Palesa [Mofokeng] three years ago when she started Queen Butterfly at the NG Church in Kloofendal, where I work. We became best friends, and I saw the amazing work she does with the children, and felt that I wanted to do something for them,” he said.
Zach, who is a member of the Roodepoort Athletics Club, takes his training very seriously, and runs between one and two hours on a daily basis. “I follow my own training programmes, and have finished every Comrades I have run. My best time is seven hours and four seconds, but, this year, I would love to try and finish in six hours and 50 seconds,” Zach said.
He believes that he is ready to take on the race on 10 June, which will be an 89km journey from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
For Palesa Mofokeng, the founder of the Queen Butterfly Foundation, this gesture is wonderful, and she said, “I am so grateful, it is not everybody who will think about our Foundation this way.
It is not always about money, but individuals like Zach, who is always thinking of ways to give something back. He does not have money to give, but he decided that he wanted to use his talent to help us.”
She added that Zach will be wearing a Queen Butterfly emblem somewhere on his shirt, and explained, “We do not want to give him something big or heavy to wear, because we do not want anything to interfere with his running. but, by wearing our emblem, he will be thinking of us – and all other disabled people – the whole time he is running, and that is what it is all about.”
They also want to use Zach’s run as a fundraising opportunity, and Palesa said, “We would like to appeal to businesses and community members to help us to raise money, by sponsoring Zach per kilometre. If there is anyone that could help Zach with running-related accessories, to make his journey smoother, that would also be much appreciated.”
Zach’s progress can be tracked on the Comrades App by using his number, 41325. The App can be downloaded from the website (https://www.comrades.com)
For more information, contact Palesa on 081 795 7531.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
