The highly anticipated 16-week count down and intensive training programme for LifeCycle 2024 has officially kicked off with the cyclists and back up team hitting the road all together as a group for the first time last weekend.
The cyclists and team are gearing up for the annual LifeCycle Challenge which this year is themed Journey of Good Hope – a 2,000-kilometer cycling feat that will take them from Botswana to the iconic Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The challenge will commence on Friday, October 25th and is set to be completed in the ambitious timeframe of 10 days, with the aim of raising funds in aid of renal patients and research on kidney disease.
The LifeCycle Challenge 2024 presents a variety of terrains and landscapes, with cyclists facing different challenging conditions. Starting with the vast, flat savannahs and grasslands of Botswana, the participants will be cycling along open landscapes in a hot and dry climate. Skirting the Kalahari Desert with its extreme conditions and limited shade, they will then move to the hilly terrain of South Africa, often characterised by sharp climbs and descents. The final leg and the approach towards Cape Town will take the cyclists along the famous Garden Route, all the way to the finish at the Cape of Good Hope.
LifeCycle Malta founder and chairman Alan Curry commented: “The first group training session is always an important step for us. It isn’t just about starting our physical preparation; it’s about laying the foundation of trust and teamwork that will carry us through to the finish line. It also makes the Challenge feel real and close by, bringing a combination of excitement, determination, and anxiety. This is a very testing challenge we set for ourselves, but all is worth it in aid of our cause.”
Now in its 24th edition, the LifeCycle Challenge, organized by the LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation, has made an impressive impact since the first edition in 1999, becoming an annual landmark event in Malta’s sporting calendar. Over the years, the LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation has successfully raised close to Eur4 million since its inception in support of renal patients, contributing to medical research and raising awareness about renal disease.
The 2024 LifeCycle Challenge is supported by the main sponsor Nescafé and other sponsors amongst whom are Smart Technologies Ltd, APS Bank, Laferla Insurance and JPA.