Family conquers Antarctic Ice Marathon to raise awareness for Early Childhood Development
Durban — Under perfect Antarctic conditions, Iain Buchan, 75, the founder of The Unlimited, his daughter Wallis Watt, chairwoman of The Unlimited, and son-in-law Ken Watt completed one of the world's most extreme sporting challenges this week.
The trio conquered the Antarctic Ice Marathon, pushing their limits to raise awareness for Early Childhood Development (ECD).
The family faced temperatures of -10°C and ran on challenging terrain, which Wallis described as "very energy-sapping due to the give in the snow." Despite these harsh conditions, they demonstrated remarkable resilience, completing four loops on a 10.5km track alongside 62 marathon runners from around the world.
"The conditions were perfect – a light breeze and clear sunny skies," said Wallis, who achieved an impressive fourth place in the women's category.
"The sun is incredibly powerful there, and we had to take precautions against both sunburn and frostbite at the same time, so we covered all exposed skin, including our faces,“said Wallis.
The marathon featured aid stations at the start and halfway mark of the track, providing essential rest points where runners could briefly remove their face coverings and gloves to refuel and hydrate with warm water before continuing. In the pristine Antarctic environment, the runners found motivation in the natural beauty surrounding them.
"There was so little to distract us, so we focused on small things like the glittering snow and the million shades of blue in the sky," Wallis recalled.
The family's finish was particularly memorable, as they coincidentally completed their final laps together.
"My dad was finishing his third lap at the same time that Ken and I came through the finish," Wallis explains.
"Ken grabbed the South African flag, and we ran through the finish together. Because the event was so small, they put up a finishing banner for everyone to run through at the end. It was really special."
This extraordinary achievement follows the family's history of taking on extreme challenges – from conquering mountains to trekking across the South Pole – all in support of The Unlimited Child's mission. To date, this non-profit organisation has already impacted over 2 million children across Southern Africa and Yemen, training more than 12 000 practitioners and empowering nearly 6 000 Early Childhood Development centres.
“Running a marathon in Antarctica might sound crazy, but it's not so different from what we do at The Unlimited Child. Just as we spent months getting our minds and bodies ready for the icy challenge ahead, The Unlimited Child works with amazing gogos (grannies) and caregivers who pour their hearts into becoming skilled ECD practitioners for our littlest ones,” said Wallis.
“Just as we could not have faced those harsh Antarctic conditions without the right gear and support, these incredible women need proper training and tools to work their magic. When they're equipped with what they need, they are able to create beautiful safe spaces where children can grow and learn, even in the toughest conditions. I have seen it first-hand – both on the ice and in our ECD Centres – when you give people the right support and believe in them, they can achieve things they never thought possible," said Wallis.
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