On Friday, October 15, 2010, the Etana daREDevil Speedo Run exploded onto the streets of Parktown, Johannesburg, as over 600 Speedo-sporting men ran through rush hour traffic in an effort to raise awareness of and funds for prostate and testicular cancer.
Needless to say, Flow Communications was there, not only to witness (and report on) this wonderful initiative, but also to take part. Flowstars Ryan Levenson, John Kazembe, Colin Ford, Dingilizwe Ntuli and Reatile Tshikalange participated in the run and found the experience to be extremely rewarding.
For some, the run was a reminder of how urgently they need to hit the gym: “The panting never stopped and my legs wanted to collapse, but I’m happy to say I ended the run just the way I started it: enthusiastic. Although my body says otherwise,” said Reatile.
Ryan was just thrilled to take part: “It was nice running down the street half naked without getting arrested for a change!”
Flowstars Miliswa Sitshwele, Itumeleng Makgobathe and Tiffany Turkington-Palmer were on the scene cheering the runners, interviewing them and taking hundreds of pictures.
For Miliswa, it was a case of more than just covering an event: “I really loved covering the daREDevil Run and seeing men of all ages gathered together for a good cause. The event gave me goose bumps because we all hear about breast cancer but prostate cancer is not spoken about. The run really helped break the silence and I hope it raises awareness about the disease.”
An annual event started in 2009, the daREDevil Run is reaching more and more people each year, as runners in 2010 took to the streets not just of Johannesburg, but also of Shanghai and New York. All this is in the name of spreading awareness and promoting cancer research both in and beyond the borders of South Africa.