George, Garden Route (March 2025) – The story of how generous donors jumped in to keep this year’s Outeniqua Chair Challenge (OCC) on track has been widely recorded, and main sponsors such as Garden Route Mall and the Western Cape Government have been lauded for ensuring that this unique George event will take place for the 21st time on 15 March 2025.

With two weeks to go ‘til race day, it’s now time to look forward to welcoming dozens of serious athletes and scores of their fun-minded counterparts to the ‘hood. OCC veterans over the years include Paralympic medallists Ernst van Dyk and Pieter du Preez, as well as acclaimed athletes such as Stuart McCreadie and local hero Shaun Butler.

South African connoisseurs of the sport will again recognise some of its stars at the starting line. But also significant is that the OCC attracts famous hand-cyclists and wheelchair racers from other parts of the continent – and this year is no exception. Among these count athletes from Ghana, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.

Raphael Botsyo Nkegbe has represented Team Ghana at three consecutive Paralympics: Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012. This gentle champion of disabled sport has participated in the OCC marathon on seven previous occasions, so this year will mark his eighth tour on the George track.
“As a wheelchair racer, I try competing in many events across the board and the OCC marathon has been one of my calendar highlights for many years. Starting in 2015, I won a silver medal at my first Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge and then proceeded to win gold,” says Raphael.
“I’m looking forward to taking part in the 42km full marathon again and God willing we’ll be able to arrive safely in South Africa two days before the event. After travelling it’s good to have a day or two to adjust to the weather and ensure your chair is prepared for local conditions.”
Raphael is the founder of Gogetdem Wheelchair Racing, and through the Accra-based club aims to give back to young para-athletes keen to develop their skills. This year he will be accompanied by two fellow racers representing Team Ghana.
“It is a great event that we have embraced from the start, helped along by the friendly people of George – be they accommodation suppliers, volunteers, or event organisers. We love coming back every year to raise our flag, promote unity, make new friends and connect with old ones. I invite everyone in George to come and cheer us on!”
Jessie Mouton lives in Windhoek and volunteers as an administrator at the Namibia Paralympic Committee. It will be her first time attending the OCC, “but I have been to George before, so I know the beautiful area!”
She will be in charge of five male athletes planning to participate in various categories of this year’s race, and says they are hoping to involve female Paralympic athletes in future. “Our plan is to travel from 11 March. We still have transport challenges and await feedback from our sponsors, but we remain positive.”
Wilson Nyakoko is the technical advisor to Wheelchair and Hand-cycle Racers of Zimbabwe. “My team is still working on budget issues, since each athlete needs R5,500 for travel, accommodation and food, plus funds for the repair of wheelchairs and hand-cycles, where necessary,” he explains.
If it all works out, Wilson’s team of six male and five female athletes, all entered in either the marathon or half-marathon, will include: Elford Moyo, 58; Munyaradzi Katiyo, 51; Thandiwe Ndlovu, 52; Morleen William Ali, 21; Stellah Jongwe, 22; Ratidzo Tomu, 52; Samson Muroyiwa, 37; Margret Bangajena, 48; Moleen Majoni, 46; Previous Wiri, 38; and Godknows Dziripi, 29.
Wilson – who is self-employed and based in Chitungwiza, an hour’s drive from Harare – says except for Godknows Dziripi, all athletes representing Team Zimbabwe have participated in the OCC before, so they know what to expect and look forward to. The tourers will leave Zim on 11 March and arrive in George on the 13th.
Finally, from Botswana, racer Louis Moffat plans to compete in the OCC marathon (2BC) on Saturday 15 March.
Race director Alewijn Dippenaar says this year’s 5km fun event will be free for local participants, and he invites young and old to join in the name of community spirit. “The professional races over 10km, 21.1km and 42.2km attract world-class athletes, and this combination of fun and pro participants makes our George event a true flagship event for SA para-cyclists.”
Presented by the Disabled Road Race Foundation, OCC 2025 is also supported by Master Cargo, Lancewood, Safari, Garden Route District Municipality, George Herald, AlgoaFM, and iX. Visit www.outeniquachairchallenge.co.za for more information and contact Alewijn Dippenaar on 082 457 5675 or at dyndev@mweb.co.za to contribute.
Garden Route Mall jumps in, and the Outeniqua Wheels start spinning
George, Garden Route (February 2025) – Much has been penned in local publications and posted on social media about the fabulous joint effort made by George businesses and provincial bodies to get this year’s Outeniqua (Wheel)Chair Challenge (OCC) back on track.
The event takes place on 15 March, with Carpe Diem School once again serving as race hub. Participation in the 5km fun event is free for participants from George.
One of the biggest contributions came, literally overnight, from the Southern Cape’s foremost shopping centre. Garden Route Mall general manager, Rion Olivier, explains: “Around 5am on a Friday morning I saw the previous day’s George Herald article about the OCC being postponed for lack of funds. I immediately forwarded the info to our stakeholders and CEO, saying ‘We need to jump in here’.”
“It’s a unique event, the first in South Africa to focus exclusively on athletes who are physically challenged. Having known the late OCC founder, Esther Watson, it’s an event I’m really passionate about. This year, the OCC celebrates over two decades of the community taking hands, but of course Covid has had its impact and all businesses have had to recover, which is why the 21st OCC event was at risk of not taking place. That would have been a shame.”
“We understand that sponsorships for the race were limited during this recovery period, and it took us only 24 hours to make the call. Halfway through our financial year, business is going well at Garden Route Mall, and it was a pleasure to pledge R250,000 towards this excellent cause,” says Olivier.
Presented by the Disabled Road Race Foundation, OCC25 is also supported by the Western Cape Government, George Municipality, Master Cargo, Lancewood, Safari, Garden Route District Municipality, George Herald, AlgoaFM, and iX; many of these sponsors have previously been involved, and organisers thank them as well as new backers on the OCC block.
On Saturday 15 March, the OCC will be hosted for the 21st time and once again cyclists in the starting line-up of pro races will include stars of the South African Paralympic Team, as well as racers from Ghana, Botswana, Namibia and other continental neighbours.
The only race of its kind in the country, the OCC serves as a major economic and tourism boost for George. But most importantly, it is an occasion greatly anticipated by scores of members of SA’s disabled community every year.
Race director Alewijn Dippenaar says this year’s 5km fun event will be free for local participants, and he invites young and old to join in the name of community spirit. “The professional races over 10km, 21.1km and the 42.2km marathon attract world-class athletes, and this combination of fun and pro participants makes our George event a true flagship event for SA para-cyclists.”
Entries close on 28 February and event registration takes place on 14 March from 11am to 6pm at the Carpe Diem grounds. Download entry forms at www.outeniquachairchallenge.co.za and contact Alewijn Dippenaar on 082 457 5675 or at dyndev@mweb.co.za for more information or to contribute towards OCC25!