Douglas Sidialo Joins Cycle for Africa

[Matthew Norton]

I have been fortunate enough to speak to Douglas Sidialo. Douglas Isaac Sidialo is a blind cyclist, mountain climber and motivation speaker. He is believed to be the first blind African to summate to the top of mount Kilimanjaro-Uhuru Peak: 5,895 Meters above sea level.

Recently, cycled on a tandem bike across 10 African countries, Tour Dafrique, (Cairo to Cape town) covering 12,000 kilometres in 95 days, becoming the first blind in the world and first African to achieve the feat.

He is also the President of Kenya Sports Association for the Blind, President Kenya National Paralympic Committee, an umbrella body that oversees sports for disabled; Secretary General of International Blind Sports Federation in Africa and United Nations Habitat Goodwill Ambassador for Safer Cities.

Douglas has bought into what we are trying to achieve at Cycle for Africa and the Maasai Heritage Foundation and has asked to join the LEJOG cycle ride in September. I am so pleased to have such a passionate and influential man on board to help is in achieving our goals.

[Jasmine Garsd]

Hello,
My name is Jasmine Garsd, i'm a journalist with National Public Radio. To commemorate the anniversary of the Kenya Embassy Bombings tomorrow, i'm looking to interview Douglas Sidialo. If you have any contact information, could you either pass it on to me, or let him know we are interested in speaking to him? I'm on deadline so of course the sooner the better. You can email me at [e-mail]

Thanks!

[Matthew Norton]

Enthused, was it just Sidialo that you wanted to write about or is it the work that we are doing? Let me know and if you are wanting to communicate on this one, please drop me a note at [e-mail]. Kind Regards

[Matthew Norton]

Dissapointingly from me, Douglas has pulled out of joining our ride. On the positive side however, we do also have an equally inspirational personal in Sironka joining up with support of our work.

[enthused]

Wao! This is amazing. This man is not only a 'record breaker,' he has a noble heart. I'd like to publish something about him in the third edition of my magazine which will be out next month. Can you do a story on him and send to me? I will appreciate if the pictures are digital ones. He deserves all the publicity in the world.