Comrades race for Autism
THE last time Sydney father Alan Levin attempted the gruelling Comrades Marathon, which covers 89 kilometres between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in South Africa, an injury forced him to withdraw.
THE last time Sydney father Alan Levin attempted the gruelling Comrades Marathon, which covers 89 kilometres between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in South Africa, an injury forced him to withdraw.
Now, more than 20 years later, the 46-year-old has just returned from South Africa after successfully completing the race in 10 hours and 57 minutes, alongside lifelong friends Gary Aaron and Trevor Heymann.
Levin, who completed the race three times while in his 20s, placed 7883 out of 19547 participants.
He also raised more than $17,000 for Giant Steps, a school for children and young adults with autism based in Gladesville, which his daughter Elle attends.
“Giant Steps is a fantastic school and they do a fantastic job. And obviously they’ve got limited resources, and to run a school like that is a huge amount of work and a financial burden. It’s nice to be able to do something to help,” he said.
“It definitely inspired me, especially at times during the race when things were going tough.”
The Comrades Marathon is considered one of the most gruelling ultra-distance races in the world, attracting athletes from around the globe.
“No matter how many times you’ve done it, you still don’t expect to see what you see.
“You go through an area called the Valley of a Thousand Hills, and there are some pretty steep mountains,” Levin said.
Naturally, he said finishing the race felt fantastic. “I’ve always wanted to go back and do it once more,” Levin said.
“It was a huge personal challenge to see if I could go back 23 years later and actually still do it. So it was an amazing feeling to finish.”
He said it was even more amazing to both start and finish alongside close friends Aaron and Heymann.
“We all went through different patches at different times, and we supported each other and helped each other,” he said.
Giant Steps funding coordinator Michelle Jocum said the money Levin raised will go towards the school’s vital speech-therapy program.
“Giant Steps relies heavily on the generosity of the community. Alan’s contribution allows us to ensure we will continue to provide a high level of service for children and young adults with autism,” she said.
“The marathon represented an enormous one-day challenge. For the students and families at Giant Steps, autism is an everyday, life-long challenge. We are so proud of Alan’s amazing achievement.”
GARETH NARUNSKY
From left: Gary Aaron, Alan Levin and Trevor Heymann.
comments