An athlete from Cape Town who competed in the Comrades Marathon this year in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to raise funds for charity was able to make his donation to a rehabilitation centre in Parow close to his heart last week.
TygerBurger reported on the life-journey of Denver van der Bergh, a former drug addict, who took part in the Comrades Marathon earlier this year (“Cape runner conquers Comrades”, 18/6).
His participation was not the only challenge though. Prior to taking part in the running competition, he took on a different challenge – running from Cape Town in the Western Cape, through the Eastern Cape to the Comrades Marathon starting line at the Pietmaritzburg City Hall in KZN.
The race was run on Sunday 8 June.
Last week Van der Bergh visited the Ramot Treatment Centre for Substance Abuse in Frans Conradie Drive during their annual general meeting where he handed over a cheque for R51 410 to the centre, in order to help people who cannot afford professional treatment for addiction.
He shared his story after his visit to the centre on Wednesday 1 October.
“I am a recovering addict. After 25 years of alcohol and drug abuse, I have now been sober for five years. In that time I have managed to turn my life around. I bought my first car at 45, went back to college and graduated cum laude in Business Administration, and I am now an intern at one of the top investment firms in South Africa.
“I also had the chance to fix a broken relationship with my dad before he passed away in 2023,” Van der Bergh explained.
To raise awareness and funds, he ran a total distance of 1 861km over 36 days, finishing with the Comrades 90km Ultra Marathon, he said. “My message throughout has been simple – there is always hope, and anything is possible.”
The money raised will go straight to Ramot, he said, to give others the same chance at recovery that he was given.
“This is just the start. I am setting up my own non-profit organisation to keep raising funds, supporting people in need,” Van der Bergh said.
