Sabrina riders starting at the Waterfront
Sunday, 6 March 2016 saw the gathering of elite athletes and amateur enthusiasts to haul themselves (and assist others to haul themselves) over the Cape Town Cycle Tour finish line in support of the Sabrina Love Foundation. A total of 270 cyclists registered to ride for the Sabrina Love team this year, with many others donning the striking “Sabrina Pink” cycle shirt, making for a cheerful pretty-in-pink party winding its way along the Cape Town Cycle Tour route.
Prior to the race, cyclists registered and collected their goody bags from the Sabrina Love stall along the charity walk at the Cape Town Cycle Tour Expo. Thereafter, the Sabrina Love team attended a pre-race dinner at the sophisticated Southern Sun, Waterfront where a special viewing of the Sabrina Love “movie” was shown, allowing cyclists a unique glimpse into day-to-day life at the Sabrina Love Foundation in Plettenberg Bay. The evening was spent bonding with cyclists and their families before all were sent to bed with strict instruction to rest up for the big day.
The night’s rest (or was it the delicious dinner?) clearly did the team a world of good with the first Sabrina Love rider, Steve Brown, finishing in a speedy time of 3:32:51, followed shortly by Sabrina’s dad, Tony Lubner, and uncle, Mark with times of 3:41:24 and 3:44:27 respectively. However, Sabrina’s mom, Suzy Lubner, was Sabrina Love Foundation’s Cycle Tour pioneer, making up one half of the very first Sabrina Love team, along with her brother Philip Reunert.
Philip gathers a global team to cycle each year in support of Sabrina Love. He and his team have been of particular importance to little Mvuyo, raising enough funds to get him decked out with life changing equipment. This year, the incredible Belron Team, consisting of 60 riders from all over Europe, managed to raise half a million rand in support of the Sabrina Love Foundation, which will be used to implement the new feeding plan Tony is working on.
Current world champion in the 5km open water swimming event, and Sabrina Love Foundation ambassador, Chad Ho, took part in his first ever Cape Town Cycle Tour this year, despite his concerns about tackling both swimming and cycling training whilst still avoiding an injury. Londoner Emma Brown, sponsored by Childwick Trust also took part, initiating Childwick Trust’s involvement with Sabrina Love’s Early Intervention programme.
Stu Loxton kindly provided the Ocean Star Training Academy as the Sabrina Love team post-cycle hospitality area. He and his team of volunteers set up a garden space just around the corner from the finish line, making it the perfect spot for tired cyclists to fall into. The remainder of the day was spent blissfully suspended in the hospitality area’s pools, with cyclists only hopping out quickly to grab a drink or nutritious nosh from the fabulous French Afrik bistro food truck, Mon Ami.
From Sabrina’s family and friends, to the foundation’s ambassadors and supporters, the 2016 Cape Town Cycle Tour was a true celebration of people helping people – the essence at Sabrina Love Foundation’s core. The event itself portrayed this very same sentiment with athletes, amateurs, and family teams working together to achieve something beautiful.
Some Sabrina Love team cyclists took part in honour of someone special who isn’t physically able to cycle themselves, while others did it because they know or have special needs children, and were seeking to connect with like-minded individuals. The hours spent together in this special union made for a life-changing experience.
The Sabrina Love Foundation is based in Plettenberg Bay and aims to assist physically disabled children in need of equipment, medical treatment, or professional guidance.
