In any community, there are “mainstream” groupings of people, or otherwise put the majority, and then there are smaller groups of people who choose to live life “off the beaten track”, or otherwise put “off the trail”. They participate in “alternative” activities, have an “alternative” way of thinking, or live in more remote locations. They live or think “differently”.
South Africa is no different. That small group of citizens who dares to “dream big”, or to dream of changing the “status quo” is very much living “off the trail” in a society often too accepting of mediocrity. In a rapidly urbanizing society, those living in more remote rural areas can also be deemed to be “off the trail”, while those taking part in activities that are not “mainstream activities” in SA, be it in minority sports of smaller economic sectors, are also very much living life “off the trail”.
But “off the trail” in South Africa is often where true pockets of excellence lie, and where many lessons regarding, and solutions to, our mainstream society’s challenges may lie hidden.
The purpose of this site will be to expose such “hidden gems”, and some of the learnings from them, in this great country that is South Africa.
We will kick off our journey on Tuesday 14th June 2011, by tracking the adventures of Albert Humphries and John Loos as they go well and truly “off the trail”, embarking on the 2350km Freedom Challenge Mountain Bike epic through some of the country’s harshest but most spectacular terrain, from Pietermaritzburg to Cape Town.
