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- Cycle Tour to raise funds for Laureus Foundation South Africa and Reach For a Dream
- Vehicle sponsorship includes a Mercedes-Benz V-Class
Centurion – Tshwane. Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa is supporting endurance cyclist Grant Lottering on his quest to raise funds for the Laureus Foundation South Africa, as well as the charity organisation Reach For A Dream through a donation and vehicle sponsorship.
Lottering’s Im’possible Tour – a solo, non-stop cycle challenge over multiple geographies, including South Africa, France and the USA – will commence in January 2022 and will conclude in October. For this tour, Lottering will focus on technically difficult mountain inclines, representing the various challenges individuals face on a daily basis.
As an endurance cyclist, international conference speaker and Laureus Sport for Good Ambassador, Lottering made a remarkable comeback from death on 21 July 2013, in Italy, when his heart stopped for a few minutes. He went on to conquer the French Alps, Pyrenees, and now South Africa, as he continues to astonish the medical profession and audiences alike.
He has shared his insights from his book ‘From Death to the Top of the Alps’ with audiences in over 11 countries around the world and is living proof that one can achieve unbelievable levels of success while persevering in the face of challenge. Lottering has overcome incredible odds, refusing to give up, and continues to do what most believe to be impossible. Every year since his life-defining accident, Lottering has pushed his own physical and mental limits, in aid of charities.
Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa’s donation and vehicle sponsorship stems from the manufacturer’s commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen, and believing in Laureus’ mission of “using the power of sport as a tool for social change”.
Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa has been supporting Lottering since 2016, and he attributes the success of his various cycle tours to the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, which has been his support car for the last five years. Features of the V250d Avantgarde, such as the parcel shelf with two folding boxes and a 360-degree camera package have been a highlight for Lottering.
“The Mercedes-Benz V-Class has become a critical part of my cycling routine, as the van allows me to simply roll my bikes into the back and hit the road. And as I often have a crew and an array of equipment, the V-Class effortlessly carries passengers in sheer luxury, while making light work of the luggage. The crew is in love with the V-Class’ folding table, allowing them to immediately start working on the footage from each day. For myself, there is nothing more comforting after cycling for hundreds of kilometres, than the climatised rear seats and grabbing a cool drink from the centre console fridge!” said Lottering.
“As Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa, social responsibility forms a vital part of who we are, and we are always looking for ways to make lasting contributions in various communities. Grant Lottering is aligned to this mission, which is why we are backing his commendable endeavours,” said Nadia Trimmel, Vice President for Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa.
The vehicle sponsorship entails a Mercedes-Benz V-Class, a Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) that has proven to be the perfect partner for Lottering’s previous Im’possible Tours as well.
The 2022 Im’possible Tour Series will also include the latest addition to his initiatives, known as the Cross Cape Im’possible Dream Tour, as he has recruited celebrity chef, David Higgs to temporarily swap the heat of the kitchen for the great outdoors of the Cape.
To commence the year-long fundraising initiative, Lottering and Higgs successfully tackled the epic 835km Cross Cape Cycle Route across the Western Cape. Starting in Plettenberg Bay, this route took the pair through the coastal Garden Route to the arid Klein Karoo, through the Overberg and finishing in the Cape Winelands in Stellenbosch. The ride included over 16 000m climbing of energy-draining passes, both off-road and on.
The Mercedes-Benz V-Class will be right behind them, offering them unmatched power for the support crew, as well as being a welcomed haven for well-deserved breaks for the cyclists. The luxurious interior will be difficult for the pair to leave, as they head back to the harsh outdoors.
For more information on the Mercedes-Benz Vans offering, including the V-Class, Vito and Sprinter, log on to www.mercedes-benz.co.za/vans. To learn more about the Im’possible Tour, visit www.grantlottering.com.
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