End of the road, but the Journey has just begun...
October 18, 2008 – We made it! Our journey on Harley Davidsons is complete – but our real journey has just begun. We will fight breast cancer with every fibre in our bodies by spreading the message of early detection. We will carry on raising funds for underprivileged breast cancer survivors to receive breast reconstructions. We need more money to do this, so our work is not yet done. We have realised that this Temptations Journey of Hope will probably be a lifelong task. We have dedicated our lives to spreading hope on Harleys and I'm proud of all of us.
By 9am on our final day, Saturday October 18, we had left Barrydale and waved to the cheering crowd as we revved our Harleys up the Tradouw Pass. The scenery was breathtaking, but there was no time to stop and admire the beauty of our surroundings. Our Harleys formed a long, throbbing snake up the hills, around the sharp bends and into the valleys, though the Du Toits Kloof pass. It was wonderful to be alive! It was a stunning sight to behold. We were being trailed by at least 300 Harley-Davidsons from the different HOG clubs: Johannesburg, Cape Town and Tyger Valley. We felt privileged to be part of this group who rode all this way to join us. Thank you to Petto and Arthur for all the organisation involved. We know it took a lot of work and we appreciate it.
We stopped at Worcester to refuel and for breakfast at our sponsor, McDonald's, and then hit the last leg of our journey to Cape Town. My pulse quickened as we entered the Mother City. It was a beautiful day; the sun shone; the sky was clear and blue, we could smell the Atlantic Ocean. The deputy mayor of Cape Town, Grant Haskin, rode in front of us on his Harley. We were happy to be alive. We rode into the V & A Waterfront and it felt fantastic.
The amphitheatre was packed. Our families and friends from all over the world were there to welcome us. My throat constricted with emotion. I looked around and saw Amy wipe away a stray tear. Claudia was crying. Magda's eyes were red. We were basking in the love and admiration from the audience. As I walked through the guard of honour set up by the dragon boat paddlers, the AmaBelle Belles, a woman tapped me on the shoulder and I looked into the tear-filled blue eyes of a stranger. She whipped her khaki hat off and displayed her bald head with pride.
"I love all you girls. I followed your ride all the way. You have given me hope for the future," she said. We exchanged hugs. She told us that she will be having her last chemo in three weeks' time. We salute her and all the other brave breast cancer survivors who are fighting this cancer war. I know we'll win!
Romanz, the gorgeous boy band who have aligned themselves with us, were singing "The Journey of Hope" song as we walked on stage. Claude Pretorius, our darling MC, welcomed us and the Cape Town crowd cheered. Janie du Plessis (our brave celebrity fellow breast cancer survivor) addressed the audience from her heart, Diane Parker thanked the people of Cape Town for their hospitality and Lillian Dube endeared herself to everyone with her familiar brand of humour.
Grant Haskin blew a vuvuzela to illustrate the clarion call to breast cancer awareness. We waved tearful hellos to our families and friends (some of them had flown in from all over the world like Amy's family and my friends from England). We loved being there but in our heart of hearts we wanted the ride to continue just a little bit longer.
The beautiful ladies from the AmaBelle Belles Dragon Boat Club (all cancer survivors themselves!) then took us on a fabulous trip around the quays in their dragon boats to the beat of "Shosholoza". It was wonderful to alive! These ladies are a true inspiration to us all.
Finally we rode our Harleys to our hotel for a welcome shower and change of wardrobe before being whisked off to Nelson's Wine Estate near Wellington for a gala dinner. Our hosts, Alan and Daniel Nelson, had gone to town! The hall was draped in white and the tables were laid with fine linen, beautiful crockery and cutlery. Some of the ladies were driven to the hall in a coach pulled by two beautiful black horses, driven by Alan himself. They looked brave and strong as they arrived in the fading light. I was proud to be one of them.
The gala dinner blew us all away. It was a magnificent pairing of fine Nelson Estate wines and exquisite cuisine. Nelson Wine Estate took the opportunity to launch their award-winning rosé wine made by Lisha Nelson, winemaker of Nelson's Wine Estate. They also dedicated each wine served to two different riders. We thank the Nelson family and Frieda Henning for organising this special evening. It was truly spectacular and was the perfect end to a wonderful trip.
What more can I say? Without people like Mishka Moller, our dedicated road captain from Eagle Wind Harley Davidson, and Berni Thompson, our sweep, this trip would not have been possible. Thank you, darling girls. You taught us so much about survival. If you can stay on that Harley and ride through the wind and the rain, past oncoming trucks, through the sharp bends and into the light, you can ride through breast cancer and conquer your fears. We love you.
We salute all our sponsors for making this ride possible. And a special thank you to our organisers, Mimi, Claude, Lynn, Erwee, Deon, Annaleen, Tania and Leandra. You were wonderful!
To my fellow riders, courageous Chrissy, feisty Frieda, active Amy, gutsy Aileen, spirited Janie, determined Diane, audacious Olade, magnificent Magda, cheerful Lillian, daring Claudia, serene Rebecca and determined Nelly: thank you for the greatest ride ever. It was a privilege. And I love you all. – Annelie Saker
Back to News |
