This year has seen Malawi play host to a growing number of sporting events and adventure expeditions that allow its visitors to challenge themselves through a variety of activities, whilst experiencing the amazing natural beauty of the scenic country, all with the added advantage of making a positive difference in local communities. The country’s naturally beautiful and diverse landscapes, including various mountains, plateaux and highlands, plus, of course, the magnificent Lake Malawi, offer the perfect backdrop for a variety of activities and challenges.
The Mount Mulanje Porters Race, the Lake Malawi Sailing Marathon, and the Luwawa International Mountain Bike Race are a few examples of events, set in stunning locations and open to all, that have been running for a number of years. 2018 has also seen two new, exciting additions to Malawi’s calendar, with the international Impact Marathon series adding a Malawi event and, perhaps most exciting of all, the launch of the Orbis Challenge, a mix of running, cycling and kayaking.
The Impact Marathons combine the ‘wow’ of travel, the power of social engagement and the challenge of incredible trail running courses. They successfully added Malawi to the series in 2018 with participants fundraising for, and assisting with, projects targeted at three of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
Last month, Double Olympic Champion, British record holder and charity founder Dame Kelly Holmes, along with 20 team-mates, participated in the inaugural Orbis Challenge to raise awareness about health, well-being and nutrition in Malawi. Participants visited Malawian community initiatives in between a 25km run up Mulanje, a 30 or 55km cycle across Zomba Plateau, and a 20km kayak on the stunningly beautiful Lake Malawi. Kelly was working with the Malawi-focussed education and philanthropic travel company Orbis Expeditions to help them launch the initiative: Sport with a Purpose. The cause for 2018’s expedition is Street Chef, an initiative that aims to get more nutritious street food out to Malawians, using locally sourced food, cooked in an environmentally friendly way.
Orbis Expeditions founder Kate Webb says, “We are excited to be working with Dame Kelly Holmes this year to promote our Sport With A Purpose Expeditions to Malawi. Designed to offer incredible challenges while raising awareness for key initiatives in Malawi, this year we’re focusing on the link between nutrition and economic empowerment. We aim for the Orbis Challenge to run annually and, in true Orbis style, be a chance for people to come and appreciate the beauty of Malawi, but give part of their expedition time to skills exchange and the support of local development initiatives.”
Malawi’s amazing variety of landscapes and activities set alongside it’s renowned warm and friendly welcome have long made Malawi a perfect destination for adventure expeditions and sporting challenges. 2018 has marked a crucial tipping point as a new set of events have brought international recognition of the country’s suitability. And If Dame Kelly Holmes thinks so, who are we to argue?
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