Cheetahs, townships and blisters – my eight days with Beefy...
Saturday 19 December 2015 07:54, UK
Sir Ian Botham has completed his latest charity walk - 30 years on from his first - covering over 100 miles in eight days in South Africa. But how did he do it?
Botham's latest walk was in support of four charities in South Africa, the Waitrose Foundation, Nazareth House Cape Town, Kliptown Youth Program, and the Chipembere Rhino Foundation. For more information on the charities and how to donate, click here.
I was fortunate enough to be part of the trip, walking alongside the former England all-rounder for all (or rather, most) of it. Here's an insight into the eight-day effort...
DAY ONE
Cape Town: Beefy's Walking the Rainbow Nation got off to a blistering start, in terms of pace, heat, and the kind you find on your feet. I personally suffered with two to the heel on day one, but the stunning seaside surroundings on the trip from Table Bay Hotel down to Llandudno Beach certainly compensated for the struggle. Botham powered on, supported by dozens of walkers, local schoolchildren, as well as former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis, and the late-arriving, ex-Liverpool and England international John Barnes - who was delayed flying in from Johannesburg. Barnes was only present for the final gentle stroll down to Llandudno Beach, but did more than make up for it by walking the full route in reverse on his own after reaching the finish.
DAY TWO
Tokai: Day two's walk was slightly shortened after the energy-sapping efforts of day one, and thankfully in slightly more overcast conditions, the nine-mile stretch proved to be a fairly comfortable one. What was slightly more uncomfortable was the tradition on Beefy's Walks for fines - paid towards the walk's four charities - to be handed out by lead physio Dave 'Rooster' Roberts on the final day in each location of the walk, and with it being the final evening in Cape Town, no one escaped punishment. They ranged from wearing a baseball cap at the dinner table to the unfortunate and misguided comment from a certain Sky Sports reporter that they 'weren't used to walking' and 'didn't know what they were doing'.
DAY THREE
Stellenbosch: Former South African fast bowler Allan Donald came to support Botham on day three for a walk that started - after most of the team had got lost, arriving at the wrong school - at Kayamandi Primary School and finished in the heart of wine country, Stellanbosch. At the walk's end, in a scene more reminiscent of that in a Bond film, Beefy came face to face with a cheetah, who if they maintained their top speed throughout, would have completed Botham's 15-mile effort on day three in little over 11 minutes. Off to the bar, or should I say, Port Elizabeth...
DAY FOUR
Port Elizabeth: The halfway point of the walk was reached with a nine-mile walk around what's known to locals as the country's Windy City or Friendly City. After much ridicule for shirking from Beefy, Sky Sports News HQ's James Cole completed his first stage. He would however request a vitamin shot injection from medics after doing so, much to the amusement of Beefy. News broke during the day that Alex Hales would be England's opener for the first Test of the upcoming series against South Africa, and after a quick word with Botham on the topic, there was not too much time for rest and recuperation as the party moved on east to...
DAY FIVE
Durban: A new day, another different location, as the walk began in more humid conditions on the east coast. Durban had been suffering from a drought, until the walk brought with it some wetter weather. Former South African internationals Mike Procter and Shaun Pollock tagged along for the walk, with Pollock proudly pointing out the street on which he grew up, a perfect spot for guppy fishing, and warning of the shark-infested waters at the beach. Procter meanwhile battled through a dodgy knee while personally, Durban defeated me, as I failed to complete my first stage of the walk, opting out just past the halfway mark of the 13-mile stroll.
DAY SIX
Soweto: Beefy earmarked the trip round the largest township in Johannesburg as the stage he was most looking forward to from the start of the walk, and it was easy to see why given the welcome he received upon arrival, as the people of Soweto sang and danced from the moment he arrived right up to his departure. They weren't the only people to sing though in the awe-inspiring surroundings of Soweto as SSN HQ's James Cole shared the spotlight with some children from the township, singing them a song as they with him for the microphone. The walk itself passed the late, great, Nelson Mandela's old house, and school, and gave an insight into the other side of South Africa.
DAY SEVEN
Johannesburg: Boosted by the news that his beloved Scunthorpe United had triumphed in their FA Cup replay over Leyton Orient the night before to book a glamour third-round tie against Chelsea, Botham powered through the penultimate stage over testing terrain in Johannesburg with the walk seemingly on a constant incline. Former Zimbabwean seamer Pommie Mbangwa turned out for the trip, with the now South African cricket commentator speaking to Sky Sports, assessing the hosts' and England's bowling attacks ahead of the upcoming series.
DAY EIGHT
Pretoria: Botham brought to a close his epic eight-day trek with a gruelling 19-mile trip to the British High Commission in Pretoria. He received a royal welcome at the finish with the red carpet rolled out for him and some bagpipes playing to the tune of Chariots of Fire. And though he said the walks never get easier, Botham has a trip to Australia and New Zealand firmly in his sights for 2017.
"The whole trip has been fantastic," he said. "We've had nothing to worry about - far from it - with lots of enthusiasm throughout and people out supporting and cheering us on. My crew weren't overly happy initially but I'm going to do one more, in Australia and New Zealand. It would be rude of me miss out Australia, it has been so good to me over the years. We will do the major cities there, and in New Zealand. That will be the swansong."
