Joost supports South African’s

Joost supports South African’s “Long Walk” from Jo’burg to Durban

Marky Warren starts his “long walk” to raise awareness about Motor Neuron Disease (MND), as one of SA’s biggest sporting legends, Joost van der Westhuizen, makes a rare public appearance in his support

Joost supports South African’s

marky

A South African from London has embarked on a journey across SA in order to raise the profile of those living with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), also known as ALS. The walk from Johannesburg to Durban will raise funds for Joost Van Der Westhuizen’s J9 Foundation, which was formed by the rugby legend in aid of those suffering from the fatal illness like himself.

In a rare public appearance, Marky’s rugby sporting hero Joost Van Der Westhuizen (Springboks and Blue Bulls) joined him in a public announcement on YouTube to gather support for the initiative.

Marky Warren will be walking from Johannesburg and Durban, completing a 390 mile (624 km) journey, which began on Mandela Day, 18 July 2014. He started his journey at the Ballz Radio studio in Jozi and will hopefully be finishing at the LIV Village in Durban on 5 August. Marky performed a similar walk as a “warm up” last month in the UK, when he walked from Cardiff to London, covering a distance of approximately 38km (23.6 miles) per day.

Marky told TheSouthAfrican.com last month that he has been training for his fundraising event and organising logistics since January.

“I work in Canary Wharf and I’ve been walking home to Wimbledon every day, which takes over three hours. You just have to keep walking. But when you walk from Johannesburg to Durban, it might be two days before you see another town. So you need a full support team as well as security. Especially in terms of refreshments, you always have to stock up.”

Professional rugby players are a key risk group to suffer from ALS; two other South African rugby players, Tinus Linee (Western Province, Stormers) and Ryan Walker (Sharks), are also affected by the incurable disease, which in all instances is ultimately fatal.

You can follow Marky Warren’s progress on his Twitter handle @PharSideUK or facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheLongWalkSA) and make donations to the J9 Foundation in South Africa.