For 60 vulnerable children on KuGompo City’s East Coast, one man will spend 60 hours pushing his body to its limits — running 300km through bush trails in a bid to change their futures.
From 4am on Friday until 3.40pm on Sunday, Joel Smith will run 5km every hour for 60 hours at Emerald Vale Brewery, raising funds for the Christian-based The King’s Children’s Home.
The public is invited to join him for any stretch of the route.
Smith, 21, lives just a few hundred metres from the home and knows many of the children personally.
“All have had sad starts to life,” he said.
“There has been abandonment and all kinds of abuse.
“Infants were found on rubbish tips, on buses, in the lift at Vincent Park.”
The home, run by pastor Jonathan King and his wife Tracy, provides care for about 60 children.
Its facilities include a seven-bedroomed house and converted shipping containers used as safe spaces.
Smith, an Old Selbornian and sales representative at Industrial Controls in Meisies Halt, said the children had become the driving force behind his endurance challenges.
He will complete the run in 60 laps of a 5km trail above the brewery overlooking the Cefane River — one lap for each child.
This is his fourth fundraiser for the home.
In matric, he ran the 100km Amathole trail over two days, raising R35,000.
He later covered 252km across Lesotho, raising R50,000, and completed a 950km mountain bike ride from Union’s End to Struisbaai, raising R80,000.
“These challenges have always been about the kids,” he said.
“This time I want to bring the community together to support them.”
Smith is encouraging residents to join him on the trail at any time.
“No registration, no fuss — just rock up with your R100,” he said.
“The restaurant will be open, there’s a market on Saturday, and it’s going to be a big community jol. But it’s for the kids.”
He expects some of the children to join him for parts of the run.
“I want to raise R100,000.”
I was a depressed teen
Smith’s journey into endurance sport began five years ago — a stark contrast to his teenage years.
“I was a depressed teen,” he said.
“Gaming was a mindless escape. I had become isolated. I stopped seeking out my friends.”
His turning point came during a family trip to Hole-in-the-Wall, where he watched his father compete in the gruelling Transkei Tough adventure race.
“I was stuck in a cottage with no signal, bored — but also curious,” he said.
“I told my dad I wanted to do a race.”
That led to months of training for the Merrell Feral Duo24 at Morgan Bay.
“Being in nature was so refreshing compared to the stale darkness of my room,” he said.
“I started to feel lighter and alive. I rediscovered the joy of dawn — and resilience.”
He credits local adventure athlete Pete van Kets as a key influence.
“He told me to set my mind on my dream goal. That as scary as it feels, the mind will win over matter.”
Smith comes from a family steeped in endurance sport.
His uncle Johan Kriel has completed 34 Comrades marathons, while his grandmother Paula Richardson, 83, still organises hikes, parkruns and cycle rides.
Despite that background, he admits the challenge ahead is daunting.
“I am going back to that place of extreme depth — emotionally, physically and mentally,” he said.
“When I am in it, I think about the children. If they have made it this far, so can I.”
Donations can be made to The King’s Children’s Home Trust (Nedbank account 100 248 7722, branch code 198765). For more information, call 083-294-4019.
Daily Dispatch
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