July 21 - Ballito Umhl

Extreme adventurer
He’s slept on beaches, in garages and even in drain pipes. He has cycled from Cape
Town to Cairo and run 4000km across Southern Africa … and now he’s bringing his
insane sense of adventure and desire to help others to the North Coast.
Text: Leah Shone
Some people are born with adrenalin
coursing through their veins and
adventure surging through their soul.
Gaven Sinclair is one such human.
A professional adventurer, 48-year-old
Gaven has made it his life’s mission to
help others by embarking on exciting
challenges that allow him to chase
that constant ‘adrenalin high’ that he
says never goes away.
His latest challenge, set to take place
in October, will see him and Ballito All
Saints Catholic Church pastor, Father
Stephen Tully, doing a 1000km beach
walk from Mozambique to Ballito to
raise funds for the Napier Centre for
Healing.
Gaven was born in Johannesburg
and spent his youth taking part in
BMX and motocross races and doing
just about every sport he could. “I got
my first bicycle and my first taste of
freedom when I was 4-years-old. From
then on, my parents always supported
my sporty, adventurous spirit.”
After completing his business
management studies and trying his
hand in the corporate world, Gaven
soon realised it wasn’t the right path
for him. “I never liked to conform and
I just didn’t fit in. At school I suffered
with dyslexia and ADD and it was
very hard. I’m really glad to see how much more awareness there is nowadays in
schools around kids who are different and that they are being taught how to be
self-sufficient entrepreneurs.”
It was in 2015 that Gaven decided he needed a massive shift in his life. Having
always felt a strong connection to Egypt, he decided to ride his bicycle
from Cape Town to Cairo while raising funds for a charity organisation. The
organisation he chose was Missing Children SA and it took him nine months to
complete the trip.
“I’ve always been addicted to adrenalin and endorphins – I chase that feeling
every day of my life. I love bending the ‘fear metre’ and pushing myself beyond
my own perceived limits.”
In true Gaven style, he decided not to train for the adventure (and says his
buttocks were very sore for the first week). He also decided not to go the
traditional route, but rather to make his way up along the East Coast of Africa.
He travelled through Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and
finally, Egypt. “I had lots of media following me along the way, which was great
for the tourism in each of the areas and I met the most fascinating people. I
would say ninety-nine percent of the trip was amazing … but there were one or
two occasions where I had to pedal for my life,” Gaven laughs.
He did the entire trip completely alone. “I don’t think it’s a real challenge if
you have a support vehicle with you. I wanted to do it completely solo and
somehow, I just believed everything would work out okay. I believe in never
allowing the fear of the unknown to paralyse you.”
Gaven’s trip certainly was an adventure and one that, he says, he managed to
complete because of the kindness and support of the people around him. “I
12 Get It • Ballito Umhlanga July 2021