Two Australian cricket captains, one English cricket legend and a South African World Cup winning hero means only one thing – it’s Day Six of Beefy Big Sri Lanka Walk.
Today he was joined for a second day by fellow Laureus Academy Members Morné du Plessis and Steve Waugh, and for the first time by Allan Border, for the trek through the beautiful coastal region of Tangalle.
Funds raised from Beefy’s Big Sri Lanka Walk, from the north to the south of the country, staged with the backing of SriLankan Airlines and Sri Lanka Tourism, will go to help sports-based community projects, including those operated by the Foundation of Goodness in Sri Lanka with the support of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
Sir Ian has to maintain an average pace of 20 miles a day for eight days in the Sri Lankan heat if he is to reach Seenigama in the south by his target date of November 8. At the finish line, Allan Border, who played 156 Test matche s for Australia, captaining the side 93 times. said: That was a tough day at the office. Botham is a machine. After the pace he sets at the start, you find yourself jogging every 100 metres to make up the 30/40 metres you have dropped back. I take my hat off to Laureus. You can see from the reception we are getting that the public are behind it and obviously Ian just keeps on giving.”
The walk was a particularly colourful one today. As the group made its way through the busy urban area, children lined the streets outside their schools to wave the walkers along. The group enjoyed school bands, traditional Sri Lankan dancers and one unforgettable group of young people on six-foot stilts in purple costumes.
With two days still to go, the Walk has moved from the sparse areas of the north, to the increasingly built up towns around the middle of the island country. And it is clear that seeing the local people as he passes on his 160 mile trek is important f or Sir Ian Botham. He said: “The support of local people really helps us get through what is a tough challenge. We are doing this for young Sri Lankan people after all, to help give them the opportunities to make the most of life after the tragedies of the civil war and the 2004 Tsunami.”
Over the period of the Walk, many great cricketers such as Australian captains Waugh and Border and Indian and Sri Lankan stars Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakarra, plus Morné du Plessis, have all pledged to join Sir Ian at various stages to support him.
Since the mid-1980s, Sir Ian has taken part in a series of high profile walks, including John O’Groats to Land’s End in the United Kingdom, the 9 Valleys in Wales and the Hannibal Walk in the Alps. He says Beefy’s Big Sri Lanka Walk will raise funds for a cause he is passionate about.
After the Tsunami of 2004, which devastated parts of the country, killed 35,000 people and displaced over 500,000, Sir Ian went to Sri Lanka, on behalf of Laureus, to assess the situation and see what could be done to help. He saw how the creation of a sports-based project in the village of Seenigama could play a significant role in the rebuilding of the community.
Since then Laureus has worked with the Foundation of Goodness in Sri Lanka by providing funds and expertise to help build sports facilities and supply coaching for young people in the rural communities. Seenigama Sports has helped the region to recover its community spirit and rebuild lives, especially through the love of cricket.
Now, many years on, following the ending of the country’s civil war, Laureus, working again with the Foundation of Goodness, is supporting the creation of a second project, this time in the town of Mankulam, in the north of the country, helping children from the two communities to play sport together and t o learn to live in harmony.
Beefy’s Big Sri Lanka Walk has been made possible by official Walk partners SriLankan Airlines and Sri Lanka Tourism and associate sponsors Global Rubber Industries (Pvt) Ltd and Lycamobile. Paradise Vacations UK have provided packages for those who wish to join Sir Ian on the Walk. Those who wish to join the Walk can sign up at www.beefysbigsrilankawalk.com or come to the Registration Desk at the start of the day to sign up and join the challenge.
Sir Ian said: “A great many organisations and people have been working hard for a long time to put my Sri Lanka Walk together and I would like to thank them. They have all shown their commitment to help young people and I could not be setting off on this great adventure without their backing.”
The itinerary for the last two days of Beefy’s Big Sri Lanka Walk is:
Day 7: November 7 – Matara to Fortress Hotel, Galle
Start: 0800 at Matara Cargills Foo d City
Finish: 1300 at Fortress Hotel, Galle
Day 8: November 8 – Galle to Seenigama
Start: 0800 at Galle Cargills Food City
Finish: 1230 at Seenigama Cricket Ground
