Rudy van Dieman (26), a tour guide for Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, began 2022 with an ambitious goal: to achieve 365 summits up Table Mountain, for charity.
The challenge which began on 1 January 2022, and will end on the 31st December 2022, came about as a means to show youngsters the power of a strong work ethic and demonstrate that they can achieve anything they set their hearts and minds to.
“What youngsters in our society need today, is a good role model, to show them that there are opportunities outside of drugs. crime and gangsterism and drugs. I hope my challenge will be a beacon of hope for those in disadvantaged communities” Says Rudy
Rudy, who has worked with several charities since matriculating high school in 2014, is focused this year on uplifting a new organisation, Angels SA, located in his hometown of Mitchells Plain, Cape Town.
With a crowdfunding campaign launched on Backabuddy, Rudy hopes to raise R1 Million, which the organisation can use to purchase a safe house for children.
“In Mitchells Plain, there are only three known orphanages, two are for babies until five years, and after that, children are placed in safe houses for three months then move from home to house until they find families to keep them longer. With the safe house, we want to create a stable life and environment for children, where they can stay until the age of 18, before entering the job market” – says Rudy
Since the launch of his campaign Rudy has raised almost R5000 with kind contributions from 17 donors.
Thus far, Rudy has completed 44 climbs up Table Mountain, covering a distance of over 100 km, and has been joined by more than 15 individuals supporting his cause.
Rudy’s initiative is inspired by his hero, Andrew Patterson, who through his 365 Ubuntu Climbs challenge in 2018, raised almost R1 Million rand on BackaBuddy, to support Habitat for Humanity, One Heart, and The Sunflower Fund. Read More.
“I watched Andrew climb table mountain every day through the summer sun and winter rain, I could never understand why he would do this. The more I watched him, the more it became clear to me, ‘to focus on today and what you can do right now to make South Africa better’ as Andrew says” – Rudy
“Rudy first contacted me in 2020 to tell me he wanted to tackle this challenge. Climbing Table Mountain every day for a year is a mammoth undertaking — but once I heard why he wanted to do this, I had absolute faith in him. Rudy is an incredible man with big dreams and an even bigger heart. I’m incredibly proud of him and supporting him with every step he climbs.” – says Andrew
Determined to make a difference
Working full-time, living with epilepsy, and struggling financially, in conjunction with the physical demands of his challenge, has been difficult but no less rewarding says Rudy, who is determined to keep going.
“Just as life is difficult for so many people, this challenge hasn’t been a walk in the park, but I remain positive, and through God’s grace I am finding balance. I am putting one foot in front of the other, concentrating on the important things in life and trying my best to create positive change” – says Rudy
