Max’s 36ONE MTB Mission

Meet Max. Max is a 36 year old male who hails from Sterkspruit, Herschel in the Eastern Cape. These days he lives in Khayelitsha with his 4 beautiful children. At the age of 34 Max started riding a bicycle. A mere 10 months after starting riding, Max completed the 36ONE MTB Challenge. A grueling, 361km single stage mountain bike race through the Karoo. And as if that isn't tough enough, most of it is ridden in darkness. As the 36ONE MTB Challenge recently posted on Twitter, "If you're still smiling after 12 hours in the saddle you are doing something very right." Max was and is still smiling. And is planning to do it again in 2018 but this time even faster.

Max is proof that this two wheeled machine is not just a bike. It's a tool to change lives. As Max says, he's not the person he was before. Recently, Max and I were sitting having a coffee when he asked me, "Unice, tell me how you feel when you haven't ridden for a few days." I answered him and then asked him the same question. "It's become my therapy", he said. It's his meditation.

The Facts about Max

Full name - Bulelani Maxwell Jodo. Facebook knows him as Bulelani Abdul-Rahim Jodo. On Strava, he is Max Jodo.

Born - 26 May 1981 in Sterkspruit, Herschel, in the Eastern Cape

Lives in Khayelitsha with his four kids and is proudly Capetonian.

November 2015 - Max started working at This Way Out in Buiten Street (Cape Town) as the friendly barista.

2016 - The magic of the bike proves too strong for him to resist any longer. He succumbs to the sight and smell of the surrounding two wheeled machines, and as a complete novice starts leading the Thursday shop rides and despite weekly wipe outs, bruised ribs and a battered ego, his tenacious smile persists.

2017 - 10 months after starting cycling, Max is offered an entry for the grueling. 36ONE MTB Challenge. He accepts and completes it. And starts planning how to improve his time in 2018. "Unice, you're alone, in the dark for large parts of the ride. You have a lot of time to think about your life and work through your problems."

2018 - Max completes the 36ONE in sub-21 hours....At least, that's the plan

36ONE Facts

20-22 April 2018

Start and finish in Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo, South Africa

361km

36.1hrs to complete it

The Campaign

Get Max to the start line in 2018

This includes his entry, transport, accommodation, equipment and food/drinks to get through 361km.

For more information on:

Max

http://playingbike.com/2018/03/22/max-in-a-million/

Follow him on Strava: Max Jodo

Follow him on Instagram: Bulelani Max Jodo

36ONE

http://www.the36one.co.za