KNYSNA NEWS – A group of local hikers and exercise enthusiasts may have inadvertently started the latest fitness trend when they added a twist to their usual walk by knuckling down to do a clean-up along the way.
The pursuit does not have an official name yet, but Fitness-cleaning or CleanEx might or might not be poised to become the next big global trend in the health industry.
The unique form of exercise was spawned on 1 May when members of the Legendfit Hiking Group pooled their resources to make a difference in the area between the old airstrip just off George Rex Drive and Leisure Isle. Armed with rubber gloves, tongs and black bags, the group made their way to Leisure Isle, picking up rubbish along the way and disposing of it in the bins stationed around the island.
According to Legendfit committee member and co-organiser Lyndie Prins, the clean-up was chosen with a purpose. "We decided to do a clean-up because we wanted others to understand the importance of leaving nature the way we found it and making it cleaner," she said.
"This was our way of raising awareness in our community with regard to littering and in doing so, lead by example."
The clean-up was not only a success in that they hardly realised they had walked 14km, they also left a clean area in their wake and enjoyed the day.
"We had a blast. We ended our clean-up by having coffee at one of the local coffee shops on the island. Special thanks to Nerine and John Florence for making this beautiful day happen. Hopefully a large number of people will support our next clean-up," said Prins.
Nerine Florence tackles some of the rubbish near the old airstrip.
The hiking group, that typically hike in and around the Garden Route during their fortnightly walks, opted for something local and easy for this occasion. "Adding the clean-up to our walk made it even more meaningful," Prins said.
She also indicated that this was not a once-off thing. "We are discussing different routes to do our next clean-up and ways to have fundraisers that would help places like the animal welfare organisations, that need food for the animals held in their kennels," she said.
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