On Sunday, 9 June, St Charles College had the privilege to volunteer at the Ultimate Human Race, the Comrades Marathon. Teaming up with a local NGO and another PMB School, our St Charles College boys raised their hands to be stretcher bearers at the finish line and be at one of the Elite Tables on the route.

The boys had to dig deep and work hard! Many described the day as easy in the beginning, but when the 9-hour mark hit, it wasn’t easy anymore. Onele Masinga (Grade 11) describes the day as, “It was harder than I expected and it was a real test of strength, especially in the last few hours, but sharing the burden of being responsible for someone’s safety with my friends made it much more bearable and rewarding in the end.”

Carlo van den Berg (Grade 12) summarised the day as, “Despite the long and strenuous hours taking a physical and mental toll on me, the opportunity to serve hundreds of people is tremendously fulfilling. Even though you work hard, carrying the physically fatigued, taking hundreds of photos for complete strangers and assembling the stretchers beforehand, the occasional “thank you” or quick smile that you receive reminds you that you have made a difference in someone’s Comrades experience, and highlights the impact that an act of service can have in someone’s day, ultimately making all the hard work worthwhile.”

The Comrades Medical Facility has been described as the largest medical, temporary facility outside of a conflict or disaster zone, anywhere in the world. What a privilege to have been a small piece of a great day! – Mrs Bianca Croeser