WildSeries Golden Gate challenge conquered

By Emily Setona

GOLDENGATE – The Wild Trust hosts its annual Golden Gate extreme trail running competition this winter and proud supporters of this event brave the cold weather in support of this wonderful initiative that contributes all the funds raised to the Golden Gate national park in the name of nature conservation.

Wild trust is a non-profit organization that organises WildSeries adventures all in the name of nature conservation. The WildSeries extreme trail running competition is an annual event hosted in the beautiful mountains of Golden Gate nature park and according to Ashleigh Robinson South African National Parks (SANPARKS) honorary ranger, the funds raised during this event assist with the conservation of endangered species such as the bearded vulture which is found here in the mountains of Golden gate.

Margaret Mopeli a proud supporter of the WildSeries from the community of Qwaqwa shared her experience of the 10 km race and said, “This is my third year doing this challenge, the views from the mountain are very beautiful and this year I was able to bring along a friend who has never experienced this before.” Ntsiuoa Sekharume who joined her friend Margaret Mopeli said that this experience was so amazing that she is definitely going to do it again next year. Golden Gate SANPARKS manager Paddy Gordon also braved the weather and did the 25 km challenge.

The proud winners of the different races are as follows, the 50km race winner in the women’s category, Ruth Cozien, the men’s category Sipho Mofokeng, the 25 Km race winner in the women’s category Evelyn Botha, the men’s category Rory Pelser and the 10km race female in first place Hannah De Nobrega and the male in first place Dan van Tonder.

The 50Km winners Cozien and Mofokeng were awarded trophies that have been designed in the shape of a dinosaur egg with a baby dinosaur crawling out of the egg as a symbol recognizing that the Golden Gate national park will soon be launching its dinosaur museum.