With many thanks to Peninsula Beverage for their South Africa 'country' donation
100%
Current Amount: £23205
Target: £23205
England!
Triathlon Completion: Day 255 - Sat 12 June
-20,293km Rustenburg, SA
Click here for blog, videos, photos & GPS location
Latest Press:
JustGiving "Fundraiser of the Month"
JustGiving [29/06/2010]
"Fundraiser of the Month"
Times LIVE [17/06/2010]
"The World Cup's most extreme fan"
ITV4 [12/06/2010]
"World Cup Countdown"
(FF to 16min 45sec in)
BBC Breakfast [05/06/2010]
"The incredible Rob Forbes"
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Inside the Travel Lab [05/06/2010]
"Swimming to South Africa"
The Sun Newspaper [27/05/2010]
"Fan swims to World Cup"
Rob on BBC Radio 5 Live:
hi Rob
Just to say keep dragging, pedaling/avoiding machete weilding teenagers. We are still following and glad you have a friend to accompany you on this bit. Also nice comments from Leo about life on the road, Leo I hope you had a great time, it sounds like you did.
Me and Tom went to a climbing wall today and are gonna start being a bit more active, still continues to be a long cold winter here, good one to miss bro!
Loads of love, Suse and Tom
x
C´mon Rob. You got used to my liophilized food and the Hilton Buffet ! Became a little spoiled !Remember my recipe .... Always carry a 2 liter bottle of Coke. It does quench your thirst and fills you up with sugar, both at the same time ! And still get some free caffeine to pump your riding !
Cheers Bro !
You can now do a bungi jump from the top of Durban stadium so if your team loses, there are other things to do. for those who don't want to jump, there is a cable car to the top for the views.
Look forward to hosting you in durbs, Rob.
love
Kathy
Hey Rob, sounds like you're still having an amazing time despite having to cycle through treacle which can't be fun. Did you know you're getting quite famous around here?! I was changing the inner tube on my bike and embarassingly managed to get it stuck and being the weakling that I am, needed help so I took it into the new cycle shop on hungerford high street. Anyway, I was chatting away to the man and I mentioned about your trip and even though they weren't open before you left at the beginning of October, he knew who you were! You better practice your autograph...they'll be supporters lining the street on your return! T's brother and sister in law have recently left England on a trip they're doing where they're driving from London to South Africa! They're in Turkey at the mo so at the rate you're going, dont think they'll catch you! Look out for them though - James and Polly Townsend-Rose. Good luck with getting out of the flash floods. Oh and please dont put photos up with horrible snakes in them...it keeps giving me nightmares! Take Care...Sarah xx
Rob!
I love the pictures of the Queen Letita and the Village...you look like such a celeb in your chair! there were so many people just starring at you-its so insane I cant even comprehend!...actually whats more insane is that beard your sporting...please please dont get rid of it...I wanna see you wear it here in the UK!!!!
I was doing some lab assessment over the last few days and was in a group with the guy who has designed the acoustics for the new stadium in Durban...I wont bore you with the technical rubbish...but you are in for a treat-its supposed to be awesome!!!! Keep pedalling- those games will be well worth theeffort! I also enjoyed Leo's comment-made me think twice about my chinese takeaway that I'm about to tuck in to....but only for a few seconds:) On a serious note, tons of admiration for the amazing progress so far-I sreally dont know anyone else who could have achieved this!!!! keep it up x
Rob,
Your "Xara" Robert Woodroof, which means in portuguese (same name fellow) once said that THE WORLD BELONGS TO THE DISCONTENDED.
As soon as I got to the luxury of everyone´s normal life, I slowly started missing the fun of teaming up with you on riding and cruising through Africa. To be totally honest with you, the part that involves sleeping in hot tents, drinking sour water, 24 hrs on insect repelent amongst others .... Is overwhelmingly washed out by the cool /fun part of it.
Funny that the hungrier I got, the better the food tasted. Yesterday I had this great dinner at a fancy restaurant, but amazingly the pasta we prepared at Oyem tasted much better.
As a Coke expert, I assure you the hot Coke I drank at Eboro (sipped in 2 seconds), tasted better than the Ice one I had yesterday, drank in 15 minutes.
The hot water I was drinking with Chlorine tablets, felt better that St. Pellegrino I had yesterday before the wine.
The 10 seconds face bath was more relieving and refreshing than the swim I had yesterday afternoon.
Finally, Thatiana my wife, is trying to understand why I am sleeping my normal 6 hours in a confortable bed, A/C room, while a week ago I was doing a 8 to 9 hrs rest. Why is that ?
Things always depend on circunstances and on the perspective we look at them. So enjoy your delicious teeth breaking baguette, sour water, smelly matress, and your 8 hour ride on hills, because pretty soon you´ll be strangely missing it.
May be I am a bit crazy like you, but that´s really crazy ! The world belongs to the discontented !
Cheers and have a hot Coke on me, Bro !
Leo
Good luck through the Congo sands, Rob, we hope you have one of those wonderful pieces of cloth to protect you from the wind. Can't think what they are called, but they make you look like Lawrence of Arabia. Still following your story with admiration and interest. May you and Bertha go well over the next few days. Love from Piers and Nessa.
Hello Rob, I loved the crocodile surprise. It was very funny.
Hey Lucia,
Thanks for your support and say hi to everyone at the British School of Cordoba for me. It seems like a long time ago that you all gave me such an amazing welcome.
In answer to your questions I always carry an emergency malt loaf so that I never run out of food. You should try one they are truly delicous and packed with great energy, make sure Mr Baring brings you one back from England and ask your local shop keeper's to start importing them!!
Make sure you work hard in those boring Geography lessons!
Rob
Hi, I am Lucia from The British School of Córdoba, I have read some of your stories I liked the one of the terrorist. From here we see how you are going and we talk with Mr Bering about you.We hope that you get save to South Africa and also that when you get back to England you come and see us. I have a question.
Have there been a day were you haven't eaten anything?
Lucia Mellado
Hello Rob,
Your friend Colin(from bad tri) told me about your adventure across the Africa. It looks like you are raising alot of money and having fun cycling with malt loaf in the pockets. I certainly know how that feels, having consumed about 50 of them on training rides last year :) your not alone in the soren obsession!!
Keep the legs spinning, see you back in bristol!
From ashley,
BadTri
Hi Rob, We are getting worried about Bertha. You complain about her squeaking and groaning and your average distance per day is inching below R100km! You haven't complained about punctures or Chinese tyres lately - so maybe we can take heart from that! The Google Earth map says you are on the N2! There don't seem to be any good bike shops coming up though! I hope Swiss Hans is a good companion! Keep plugging at it! Love Clem & Sue.
Thank you for the great new photos! What a week Helen had - she somehow managed to stay a whole lot cleaner than you! Looking forward to some shots of Mount Cameroon. Maybe we will see Ron in the next few days for some first hand accounts? Go well. Sue & Clem
Ive just come to your website from the Triathlete's World magazine and being a fellow Cotswoldian wanted to say "Way to go! You are completely mad!!!! .......but in a good way".
I hope all goes well and I will keep checking back to see how you are doing. Hope you realise these sort of things get addictive! Im on my third year of the 24Seven challenge having vowed to only do it once!
Well done Robbo! Just the last week is absolutely amazing stuff. Mount Cameroon, Visa, 'Old man' Ron, Leo, brewery visit, night time riding. Thank goodness for this website diary, it's going to be a hell of a book!
Go well. Love Clem and Sue
Rob sounds like your spririts and energy have been lifted thanks to Ron and Leo, glad you guys are lapping up the cheap beer..I'm sure its all part of the special dietry requirements for the Comorades!! Not long till the final countdown, only feels like you left the UK the other day! Roll on the final countdown:) Take it easy old man, Sabina xxx
Great to read that Ron excels at snoring as well! Underachieving doesn't seem to be part of the Forbes clan makeup! Good to read your blog between tracking the Wellington Sevens finals - a Pacifica stand off with Fiji edging out Samoa. When you're done with your African challenges, Rob, you'll need to pit your athletic skills against these islanders! Grace will be relieved you've accomplished your volcanic mission without mishap. Keep safe!
Hi Bob and Old Man Forbes,
Hope you are also using Mum's skills of getting not only breakfast, but also lunch and dinner from the buffet and carefully concealing it under your napkins/shirts. Congrats on the climb. Enjoy the R and R R and R ;) LOL S xx
Hey Rob! I keep reading your adventures regularly. Glad to see that nothing can stop you, you're tough man! Now you're closer from the end that from the beginning, it's almost done!
After a 2 month stop in Senegal I began looking for a sailing boat to get to Brazil and I found one in no more than 3 days in Casamance (south of Senegal, between Gambia anf Guinée Bisso)! So I'm leaving from Dakar this week-end, we'll first stop for the carnival in Cabo Verde and then resume the journey to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.
Good luck for the rest of your challenge. No doubt that you'll make it. Hope we'll catch one day in France or in England. Of course you're welcome at my place in France at any time (when I'll be back!).
Take care
Romain
Great stuff to the Forbes boys! Get some photos up please. It's all downhill from here Rob.
Go well
Love Clem & Sue
hahahaha this post made me chuckle...you know what they say Rob like father like son! Congrats again this time climbing the summit! Wow 2010 is definitely going to be one to remember for you!
Hi Rob and Ron! Well done on reaching the top - Awesome! Sounds like there's been some good father son bonding....elephant sighting sounds amazing! We've missed the blog these last few days, so really great to hear your news. Lots of love and thinking of you guys - Kirst, Duncs and girls xx
Is the recipe for these energy-rich loaves a family secret? Look forward to discovering how the old man's ticker and knees cope! And of course, discovering more about the passing scenery as you ascend the mount - tho' Grace will be particularly concerned about your close proximity to a volcano - a bothersome awareness that crept into her wee head when studying the awesome power of volcanic eruptions at school last year! ;-)) So, on Grace's behalf, please take care and ensure you have a emergency escape plan - i.e. apart from food stocks! And do report your safe arrival back to your concerned Kiwi cuzzies - who are themselves experiencing their very first adventures camping up the coast, as i type.
Wonder what music played in your head whilst navigating this challenging trail? Glad to discover you made it to a welcoming home for the night!
Have a great time together, R and R! We hope the view is good from the top. Love, Nessa and Piers