Cycling for a dream
Stanley ‘Butch’ Webster and long-time friend Graham Wilson made the decision this year to cycle for charity from Durban to Cape Town (1 635 km) over the span of 32 days. On Saturday they stopped off in Hermanus en-route to their final destination.
From left are Wayne Bagley, Graham Wilson and Butch Webster with cyclists from the Hermanus Cycling Group Paul de Villiers, Paul Lewin and Jack Ackermann. The Hermanus cyclists rode with Wayne and Butch from Stanford to Hermanus.
The men (both 69 years old) have been friends for 40 years since they met at the Maritzberg Football Club. Both men became actively involved in all kinds of sports after ending their ties with football, including running and cycling.
“Running is extremely hard on the legs, whereas cycling is not,” said Graham, who has been cycling for close on 20 years. Butch, who was born in Johannesburg but now lives in Florida, USA only started cycling less than a year ago when he messaged Graham and told him that he wanted to do a fundraising cycle for charity. “Do you think we can do it?” Butch asked Graham. “I think you are smoking something,” replied Graham, but joined Butch anyway in what became the Dream Cycle Foundation.
The two cyclists were joined on their trip by Wayne Bagley who drove behind them the entire way, warning motorists behind him to drive carefully due to cyclists on the road. Apart from an isolated incident, they never encountered road rage on their trip. They cycled through all kinds of weather and met many people from different walks of life along the way. In some towns, they were welcomed with banners and crowds gathered to show their support.
The pair rode in support of the African Wildlife Foundation, Expro (support for ex-professionals) and Relief Bed (beds for impoverished people and disaster victims worldwide). For more photos and information on their story, visit the Dream Cycle Foundation Facebook page.
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