After re-creating a run completed by a team of Paras at the height of their fitness, Veterans Aid supporter Jon Cowell reflects on his ‘lone’ run, 21 years later, and pays tribute to his outstanding team. Together they enabled the former soldier to achieve the incredible feat of running over 270km across Rwanda. (See https://www.justgiving.com/return-to-rwanda to donate.)
“I am delighted to report that all members of Team Return to Rwanda have safely arrived back home, albeit somewhat tired and slightly emotional after what proved to be a fantastic but challenging week in Rwanda.
The country proved to be just as beautiful as I had left it 21 years before, the people just as stoic and the children especially happy. The most noticeable difference however was how busy the country has become and how well the nation has rebuilt itself, based on a combination of hard work and reconciliation. We were welcomed across the length of the country and, as surprised as many were to see what we were up to, everyone took our odyssey in their stride and cheered us on our way. No more was this support evident and ever present than with our driver, Alex Kagaba. He immediately bought into our plan, happily taking us off the beaten path to fulfil our objectives and waiting patiently at the roadside when the sun set or we dallied over an extra morning coffee.
The support team proved to be equally versatile, providing much needed running support, a constant supply of water and nutrition, regular communications with the UK by phone and social media, and the provision of an ongoing supply of banter and jokes to keep my spirits up. They also proved to be marvellously heroic in volunteering to climb and descend Mount Muhabura despite already being tired from two days of running, thereby creating a most memorable and emotional photo opportunity, our poignant one-minute’s silence on Remembrance Day at 13,540 feet on the summit of the volcano. Creating regular media reports and producing a fabulous array of photographs and videos allowed me to focus on my running safe in the knowledge that the event was, this time, fully captured for posterity.
The only shortcoming was, in fact, my running. With an extremely tight timetable, there was no time to acclimatise or to ease myself into the schedule. With a delay in reaching the start point on the Burundi border on Day 1, on what is certainly now a least travelled road, I knew from the first couple of hours that I was chasing an already impossible target. I compounded this further by tripping over after five hours, whilst feeling somewhat light-headed, and from then on had restricted mobility which further reduced my pace. At some stage later that afternoon I realised that I was not going to make the ambitious targets I had set and, decision made, found better running form and pace as the sun set that day to finish on 80km in 9 hours and 21 minutes of running.
With a similarly reduced target and needing to be in the Parc des Volcans by close of play, I made the decision to start Day 2 on the Kigali – Ruhengeri road, retaining the missing kilometres for our ‘reserve’ day later in the week. However, if the first day had been tough, the hills north of Kigali proved to be longer and harder and I had to settle into an even slower pace. Thankfully, once again, I had the continual support of my colleagues who diligently ran alongside providing as much verbal distraction as I would allow, and scores of children who merrily ran with us, making a mockery of my fatigue!
After a late start climbing Mount Muhabura on Day 3, we were again under time pressure, but were blessed with perfect weather as we rose above the clouds. Supported by a team of porters and a half section of the Rwandan army, we made steady progress on the way to the 13,540 foot high summit. With 500m still to climb we were approaching the cut-off to turn around, but, despite the increasing fatigue and the rarified atmosphere, everyone was committed to complete the climb and enjoy the ultimate view across Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and the Congo. In doing so, despite my missing miles, we arrived at the ultimate objective, the Ugandan border in the north of Rwanda. My tardiness on turning us around on top made for a challenging descent where, what should have been the final hour or so of descent, quickly (or slowly) became three hours in the dark, taxing the spirits and patience of all.
Any discomfort was however quickly forgotten the following day where, after a short hike, we spent an incredible hour with the Umubano family group of twenty-four mountain gorillas. This was a wonderful experience which was both humbling and fascinating and never has an hour passed with such ease. With our emotions still reeling from both the challenge and the gorillas, we concluded our trip with a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial which is a powerful reminder of the horror that had preceded Operation Gabriel twenty-one years before.
Such is the nature of the people and the country however, that had this and other memorials not been present, you would not have known that such an atrocity had ever taken place. We concluded our brief stay with a visit to the Amahoro Stadium where I had lived twenty-one years before. It looks better for a coat of paint and, not long after our arrival, the Return to Rwanda team were ushered away by officials to make way for the Tour du Rwanda. In a generation, this country has come a long way.
In recreating a relay run completed by a team of Paras at the height of their fitness, it is entirely pertinent that it once again took a committed team effort to achieve the incredible feat of running over 270km across Rwanda. I can console myself that in three days of running I climbed (and descended) 16,567 feet – 1,300 feet more than required to climb Mount Everest – and I will be forever indebted to Bethan Courtman, Anne-Marie Hunter, Geoff Parker-Naples, Steve Rice and Sarah Cowell and their supportive and trusting families who enabled the Return to Rwanda to happen. Their efforts fully deserve the generous donations we have received on behalf of Veterans Aid (www.justgiving.com/Return-to–Rwanda) and to stand for a minute’s silence on the summit of Mount Muhabura with these good friends was a poignant but fitting way to close this lengthy chapter of my life.”
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On the third and final day of a challenge that pushed former soldier Jon Cowell to his limits, he and his support team achieved their ambitious goal; completion of 264.5km run, from Rwanda’s southern border with Burundi to its northern border with Uganda, in just three days.
The 51-year-old, who served with 5 Airborne Brigade from 1984 to 1996 was retracing his footsteps of 21 years ago, revisiting a country that has changed considerably since that time.
Jon has cycled ‘Costa to Costa’ with fellow triathletes (130 miles in a day from Whitehaven to Sunderland), smashed the indoor Ironman Triathlon record by more than an hour and broken a second world record for distance covered on a treadmill in 12 hours, but the ‘Rwanda Run’ for Veterans Aid was perhaps his most ambitious undertaking.
In her final report a tired Anne-Marie Hunter wrote, “The last day and possibly the toughest challenge; an ascent up to 4100m with a gradient of 1:3 to the summit of Mount Muhabura. After six hours of climbing with tired legs and sore feet Jon, accompanied by his support team, reached the summit. This was a momentous occasion on a special day – he had finally reached the border with Uganda and covered the distance from the south to the north of Rwanda.
“The team paused for a minute’s silence remembering all those who had been lost. It was a very emotional and powerful experience. They then made the difficult descent, several hours of which was in the dark, and finally reached the base after 12 hours of hiking.
“This has been an extraordinary difficult challenge which has pushed Jon to his limits, but it’s also been an amazing experience.”
CEO of Veterans Aid Dr Hugh Milroy said, “I speak for all at Veterans Aid when I say thank you to Jon and his team for this awesome and inspirational effort. We value all fundraisers, but few put themselves through the kind of physical ordeal that Jon has undertaken. When the team at VA observed its own 2 minutes silence on Armistice Day it was strange to think that somewhere in Rwanda a group of supporters would also be remembering fallen comrades. The events might not have been exactly simultaneous, but the poignancy of the act was significant.
“Jon, we salute your valiant achievement and are delighted that you chose to do it in support of our charity.”
A weary but triumphant Jon said, “This has been extremely challenging, but deeply rewarding and my objective has been met. Please donate whatever you can to this worthy cause.”
https://www.justgiving.com/return-to-rwanda
DAY TWO
In his team’s second despatch from Rwanda Veterans Aid fundraiser Jon Cowell was reported to be pushing the pain barrier during a day made tougher by his fall the previous day.
Anne-Marie Hunter
told VA, “Day Two was two extremely difficult and Jon had to dig very deep as his muscles became tighter and his pain increased. But once again the Rwandan children came out in their hoards to run alongside him. Their smiles and enthusiasm spirited Jon up some of the toughest hills – one of which was 6k+ and steep, steep, steep!”
Battling rough terrain, heat and humidity, he nevertheless covered 70k – an amazing achievement!
Our verdict? Rwanderful!
Watch this space for the next report and click HERE for background.
DAY ONE
Veterans Aid fundraiser Jon Cowell started the first leg of his 264.5km Rwanda Run at 0830hrs today from the country’s border with Burundi – and just 25k into the day he was ‘reporting live’ to forces broadcaster BFBS. Ten kilometres later he took a bad fall, but pushed on to complete the day’s stretch.
In the first of her daily dispatches team member Anne-Marie Hunter told VA, “The terrain was challenging; relentless steep rolling hills and dusty, rubble tracks. However Jon attacked them with vigour and got into a rhythmic pace very quickly. The scenery was stunning, and the colours breathtaking.
“The Rwandan children greeted us with huge smiles and then proceeded to run alongside Jon for several kilometres. The first 20k passed with relative ease and then the hard work started.
“As we reached Butare, 25k into the run, Jon carried out a live radio interview with BFBS radio while still running. Hopefully it will have raised the awareness of Veterans Aid even further.”
As the kilometres were knocked off, the sun got higher, the temperature increased and the next 20k got seriously tough.
At 35 kilometres Jon fell.
“He went d
own hard and our hearts were in our mouths. After we patched him up, Jon slowly stood up and set off again. His experience and determination kicked in and slowly but surely he picked up the pace again. His confidence grew and slowly, but surely, the kilometres were covered.”
Jon ran for nine and a half hours through unforgiving hills in punishingly high temperatures. Watch this space for the next report and click HERE for background.
