Mountain biking legends, Karl Platt and Tomás Misser – or Tomi as he is affectionately known – will be teaming up for the 2023 Absa Cape Epic. Not only will the Team Bulls and Mondraker riders be pursuing the NTT Masters category victory, which Platt won in 2022 alongside Christoph Sauser, but the pair will also be riding for a great cause too. Throughout the eight-day race they will be aiming to fundraise for the breast cancer screening charity, ILoveBoobies, in order to provide screenings for 500 women in historically disadvantaged communities.
Most cyclists will already be familiar with ILoveBoobies. The charity has a frequent presence at events like the Cape Town Cycle Tour, Wines2Whales, and the Absa Cape Epic. They also leverage their partnerships with South African celebrities like Maps Maponyane and Amber Denae Wright to extend their reach beyond cycling, in particular, and sport in general. The global stage, that the world’s premier mountain bike stage race presents, remains a fantastic opportunity to raise invaluable funds for cancer screenings though.
With women statistically at a 1 in 8 risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetimes and with up to 30% of women being unaware of breast cancer, it is essential to provide both public education and conduct as many screenings as possible. Photo by Ben House Media.
ILoveBoobies will therefore be proudly represented by one of the all-time greats of the Absa Cape Epic and his new stage race partner. Platt, needs no introduction to fans of the Untamed African Mountain Bike Race. The Team Bulls star has won five elite titles, an NTT Masters category title and has notched up 17 Absa Cape Epic finishes. His 2023 teammate, Misser is a fourteen-time Spanish National Downhill Champion, a master’s category Downhill World Champion and one of the heroes of the fledgling sport in the 1990s. The Bulls/Mondraker combination have already raced an Epic Series event successfully together, winning the Masters’ category at the 2021 SPAR Swiss Epic.
At the 2023 Absa Cape Epic they are determined to be fiercely competitive, while having fun and making a difference too. Both Platt and Misser are family men and are committed to raising the funds needed for ILoveBoobies to provide breast cancer screenings for 500 women. “We want to use our sport to make a difference to the communities that we race through,” Platt said. “The best way for us to do this is to care for the mothers and grandmothers in those communities. If they are healthy, the kids get the best chance of a bright future.”
Join the ILoveBoobies team for an old-fashioned ticket raffle at the Reeds Tygerberg MTB Club Night Ride and Social; on Thursday, 16 March. The ride takes place at the Bloemendal Trail Park, Durbanville, from 18:00 to 20:00. Photo by Ben House Media.
To kick off their fundraising efforts the team are staging an old-fashioned raffle ticket fundraiser at the Reeds Tygerberg MTB Club Night Ride and Social, this Thursday. The ride takes place at the Bloemendal Trail Park, Durbanville, from 18:00 to 20:00, on the 16th of March. It will be a fantastic opportunity to meet Platt and Misser, as well as to support a great cause. Prizes, for the raffle, have been donated by Ciovita, USN, Tifosi, On Running, JBL Speakers, ILoveBoobies and Sahmurai by Stefan Sahm. One lucky winner will receive a 2023 Legends Bulls Mondraker jersey, as Platt and Misser will wear at the Absa Cape Epic, signed by both riders. Raffle tickets are available both online, at www.iloveboobies.co.za, or at the event.
“All funds raised from the Absa Cape Epic campaign are ringfenced and will be used exclusively for screenings in the communities around and along the route,” Cecil Munch, ILoveBoobies Charity Director, explained. “We will be sending the field team to Hermanus, Bot River, Grabouw, Somerset West, Stellenbosch and Paarl to conduct the education and screening programme. If any abnormalities are detected the woman will be routed to the nearest breast cancer facility for immediate confirmation and/or treatment.”
The funds raised by Karl Platt and Tomi Misser’s campaign will be ringfenced to provide screenings for women in communities along the 2023 Absa Cape Epic route. Photo by Ben House Media.
“We have five teams racing the 2023 Absa Cape Epic to raise funds for ILoveBoobies,” Charity Director, Nicky Webb noted. “Their fundraising efforts, have already raised R85 000. Our teams are from Scotland, America, Spain, Germany and South Africa. ILoveBoobies brand ambassador and breast cancer survivor Kris le Cok is one of the most notable participants taking part for the charity. Kris is racing with her husband Donovan and has undergone chemotherapy whilst preparing for the race!”
Early detection and treatment have proven the most effective measures for reducing breast cancer patient mortality. Given the fact that 85% of breast cancer occurs in women who have no family history of the disease and that up to 30% of women are unaware of breast cancer it is essential to conduct as much education and screening as possible. Each screening costs R300 or €15 and a simple metric the charity uses is that for every five pairs of ILoveBoobies socks sold they are able to provide one breast cancer screening.
ILoveBoobies has funded breast cancer screenings for over 6 000 women by selling cycling and athletic apparel through their web-store at www.iloveboobies.co.za. Photo by Ben House Media.
To support Karl Platt and Tomi Misser’s fundraising campaign, by direct donation visit www.givengain.com and search for ILoveBoobies. Alternatively visit the charity’s website at www.iloveboobies.co.za, because together we can make a difference. Early detection saves lives.
