Wheelchair users set to tackle Quads 4 Quads challenge

Former Springbok rugby star André Venter and Ari Seirlis, national director of the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA), are among 400 off-road bikers set to tackle the gruelling 1,000 km, four-day Quads 4 Quads challenge this week.

Ari Seirlis, a quadriplegic as well as a tireless campaigner for disability rights, will ride his adapted Yamaha 700 quad bike on the epic adventure, which kicks off on 24 September. André Venter, a paraplegic due to a spinal condition, will also take part on his sponsored Yamaha Grizzley quad bike, flanked by his good friend and fellow former Springbok player Wahl Bartmann. Together, Seirlis and Venter will prove that nothing is impossible - that wheelchair users can be just as tough and determined as the other brave riders taking part.

The annual Quads 4 Quads race, brainchild of Family Adventures six years ago and aimed primarily at raising funds for QASA, involves a 1,000 km round trip from Carnival City, Johannesburg, to the coastal town of Ballito north of Durban. Riders can use any make or configuration of off-road motorcycle to traverse the difficult terrain, which involves passing over mountains and rivers and through much dust and dirt. The race takes place over just four days - meaning 250 km per day, or 6-8 hours in the saddle.

"I never thought it would be possible to be pushed to my physical limits as a quadriplegic," says Ari Seirlis. "This is an incredible experience, testing my resilience, testing my energy, testing my concentration, testing my agility. Not only does this event raise much-needed revenue to support QASA's work with the paraplegics and quadriplegics of South Africa, but it allows our members to dream of doing something adventurous and active, free from their wheelchairs and the constraints of our society."

 

The event, now the largest of its kind in the world, has so far raised around R3 million in charity funds. Corporate bodies are supporting the race in various ways, including Pick 'n Pay, who have ensured that soccer balls and school stationary sets are distributed to the rural communities along the route.

Quads 4 Quads - quad bikes for quadriplegics -  will prove a life-changing event not only for Seirlis and Venter but also for the 400 other riders set to tackle the race. For more information or interviews, contact:

 

Ari Seirlis       

QASA

aris@iafrica.com

0829014150

www.qasa.co.za

 

Glenn Foley   

FAMILY ADVENTURES

foleyg@mweb.co.za

0721770621

www.familyadventures.co.za