As many of you may know by now, our very own Irafaan Abrahams successfullycompleted the New York Marathon on Sunday 6th November 2011.
The anticipation and nerves leading up to and at the start of the race, the excitement, the exhilaration and his progress during the race was just unbearable, to say the least. Yes, we were kept up to date, with kilometer by kilometer updates on Facebook by Irafaan himself. He in turn was flooded with messages of support from fellow members of LOA Itheko AC and friends from South Africa during the race. He finished the New York Marathon in a time of 5h23. What a brilliant performance?
I am sure you will all join me in extending our hearty CONGRATULATIONS to Irafaan on a superb effort. Let us not forget that in the process he has achieved one of his lifelong dreams. Through his efforts he has also contributed to the upliftment and development of many school children as well as raised funds for various charities.
Team Fanie; the team behind Irafaan’s New York Marathon Million Challenge had a farewell party for Irafaan. It was a brief together with friends, work colleagues and family to bid farewell to Irafaan as he departed for the New York Marathon.
All the “blood, sweat and tears” has come to this final moments, the highlights of the campaign included the following:
A grand launch of the New York Marathon Million Rand Challenge at S&S Squash courts
A tough weekly training regime with Jade and the dedicated team at Solid Sports, click here to view the pics
Visiting schools across the Western Cape including Rylands High
Being the guest of honour in Port Elizabeth at a SANZAF Gala event
Walking the ARD race with visually impaired walkers from LOFOB
Been interviewed by various print publications, see the media section
Live on Internet Radio stations such as Two Oceans Vibe and with Leila and chatting to Soli Philander from The Taxi, see the pics by clicking here
Team Fanie was in full gear at Vangate Mall to promote the New York Marathon Million Rand Challenge as part of their Roadshow across Cape Town. Curious shoppers stopped to chat to Irafaan and show their support for the campaign. Learners from Rocklands High were also there to fill their collection list.
There was music and breakdance crews shows to keep the crowds at Vangate Mall entertained. The event helped raise awareness of the New York Marathon Million Rand Challenge and road running.
Some pics of the day
Irafaan was invited to a Sanzaf Gala event in Port Elizabeth. He was the guest speaker and was honored by Chapmans High School for his his involvement in raising funds for Education in Western Cape via the New York Marathon Million Rand Challenge.
He departed Cape Town enroute to Port Elizabeth with Armien Jacobs from Sanzaf who has quite influential in inviting Irafaan to the Gala event in Port Elizabeth. Irafaan has a wonderful time at the event. Boebie Schloss from the courier company Under 1 hour shipped the New York Marathon Million Rand Challenge collecting lists to the Sanzaf PE so that fundraising can take in part of the country. The NYCMMC is gaining steady momentum and he is making steady ground nationally, we hope to keep you informed of the progress as it happens, so watch this space.
Irafaan paid Rylands High School a visit recently and his timing was excellent as they were their annual Fun Day. There was lots of fun to be had as there was music, signing and lots of snacks to be had. Rylands High is one of the ten schools that have joined the initiative – Irafaan’s own school Rocklands High, Trafalgar High, Darul Arkam High, Glendale High, Sea Point High, South Peninsula, Chapel Street Primary and Parkhurst Primary.
Each school endeavors to raise R 100 000 by means of a “Sponsorship Card.” All learners will be issued with this card which will be illustrated with 43 blocks. Each block represents a kilometre I will complete in the race, which is 42.9 km in distance. There is also a monetary value of R5 attached to each block and each learner will be able to raise R215 for their school. Each school therefore stands to raise a projected R200 000, the proceeds of which they will benefit from 100%!
Irafaan spent some time with the Rylands High learners and Teacher Mrs. Ganie; who is the driving force behind the fund raising for the New York Marathon Million Rand Challenge. Rylands High School recently raised R100 000 for the Somalia Famine Relief campaign run by Gift of the Givers. Irafaaan was not alone at the event, Wafiq from Idol’s fame was also there, Steven of DP cricket equipment was as well as Cobra’s player Dane Piedt. He briefed the teaching staff about the progress of his campaign and spent some time with the learners as well.
In preparation for the New York Marathon on the 4th November 2011, Irafaan has been training for the past month. He is being taken through his paces by his fitness trainer, Jayde Daniels from Solid Sports Clinic who has been offering him sports conditioning training as part of a marathon running program.
Irafaan been put through his paces
Irafaan’s fitness training team from Solid Sports Clinic comprise of a:
Dietician
Trainer and a
Physiotherapist
The main focus of the training is:
Increase fitness levels
Build strength
Developing endurance for races
Total core strengthening; knee, jip, ankle stability strength.
Thus far Irafaan has had a few injuries which he picked up prior to starting his training like his toe and his back injury fixed by the Solid Sports Clinic Team. So will Irafaan be prepared and ready for the New York Marathon? Well over a period of 7 weeks of intensive training including full body with a proper eating plan to asisst in fitness and strength for the marathon, who would not be ready?
Team Irafaan @ the Solid Sports Clinic (From L to R) Jayde Daniels, Irafaan Abrahams and Fatima V/D Rheede
If you are a runner who needs advise on any injuries that you have picked up along the way or you have made up your mind to run that marathon, give the team at Solid Sports Clinic a call.
ARD Athletic hosted their inaugaral race which consisted of a 5km walk and a 10km race.
Runners were eager and willing to partake in this race, following a month layoff due to the month of Ramadaa, where runners could not partake in running events.
The race kicked off from Fairview High School in Klip Road, Grassy Park. The race was a flat and flat one and attracted many runners and walkers. Irafaan Abrahams took part in the 5km Walk with a group of visually impaired walkers from LOFOB. Many of his fellow club members from Itheko Atheltic were there to cheer him as he crossed the line.
This race also gave him the oppurtunity to gather support for his “New York Marathon Million Rand Challenge”. Here are a few photos.
Solly Philander interviewed Irafaan Abrahams and wanted to find about more about his latest campaign; NYC Marathon Million Rand Challenge.
The Taxi Fm is an Internet Radio station which broadcast live via streaming audio via the internet. Click here to find out how to stream the Radio show live on your Blackberry, Handset or Desktop P.C
It was a packed house at the Mixim Squash Court in Belgravia on Saturday 3 September as family, friends, colleagues, business people and media gathered for the official launch of the Irafaan Abrahams NYC Marathon R1 Million Challenge. The project is the brain child of the energetic educator and radio personality and will see ‘Vinnige Fanie’, as he is aptly known, run the elite marathon to raise R1 million for schools in the Western Cape.
The venue was a symbolic nod to Fanie’s early childhood years when he first developed a love for sport, by learning to play squash. It was here where he spent most of his days as a teenager, in an area that had become the epicentre of the anti-apartheid student uprisings in the 1980’s.
As guests arrived, they were treated to hot soup and snacks, made by Fanie’s hands-on mother and wife, and served by his hardworking learners from the Rocklands High Social Club. The event was opened with a prayer by Sheikh Ebrahim Dawood, principal of Darul Arkam high school, one of the schools taking part in the initiative. Jeff Paulse from the Gleemor Baptist Church said a few opening words, to mark the importance of the gathering.
Keynote speaker Amien Jacobs, the national coordinator of Sanzaf – one of the project’s sponsors – waxed lyrically about his relationship with Fanie. The two met when Jacobs spontaneously joined an 11 year old Fanie and his friends in a cricket match – forging a bond that would last more than 30 years.
Yusuf Fisher , marketing manager for Al Anwar Travel and Tours, thanked Fanie for allowing the company to jump on board. But Fisher took a humourous swipe at Fanie’s pink jacket, leaving the audience in stiches.
“Please, please, all I ask is that you don’t wear that colour. If you do, the other runners will run away from you…” he quipped.
Jade Daniels, from Solid Sports Clinic is Fanie’s physical trainer, who has been tasked with keeping the runner in shape. Daniels said she was honoured to be part of the project, but admitted hard work lies ahead. She made no bones about the fact that she would be cracking the whip on him, to ensure he would be mentally and physically prepared for the race.
Learners from Rocklands high paid a warm tribute to their teacher, whom they described as an outstanding role-model and pillar of strength. Shakiera Ariefdien and Amiena Lewis said they had been inspired by “Mr Abrahams” to become better learners and better people, through their community activities with Rocklands High Social Club – a project created by the teacher to empower his learners. In a heartfelt poem read to the audience, the girls said the educator was driven and dedicated, always striking a balance as a firm but understanding leader
The tributes become too overwhelming for the man of the hour, so much so that when it was time for him to take the stage, he was at a loss for words. But Fanie quickly found his feet, taking the audience on a poignant but humourous journey of his life from his youth to the present. He also honoured his parents, wife and children, who had been there every step of the way, to make his dreams a reality.
The speeches would not be complete without Fanie’s talkative 10 year old daughter Saarah saying a few words. In the most emotional part of the evening, she broke into tears as she paid homage to her father, thanking him for being a great dad. There were hardly dry eyes in sight as she expressed confidence that he would be able to achieve his goal.
The proceedings ended with the launch of the official logo and website by Hasanain Abdullah from The Worx Web Design, the brains behind Fanie’s online marketing campaign. In a slideshow projected onto the walls of one of the squash courts, Hasanain introduced the website, which officially went live. The evening ended with homemade biscuits, cake and tea and photographs with Fanie.
Photos of the Launch of the NYC Marathon Million Rand Challenge
