Driven by grit and fuelled by a deep desire for peace, Congolese triathlete Miguel Masaisai embarked on a three-month cycling journey from his hometown to Cape Town to promote unity and hope across Africa.
Cape Town, South Africa (12 August 2025) – After more than three months of cycling, from his hometown of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Cape Town in South Africa, triathlete Miguel Masaisai has come to the end of his legendary odyssey “Pedals for Peace”!
Hailing from a city deeply affected by war and displacement, 23-year-old Miguel took the initiative to use his love for sport, cycling in particular, to send a bold message of peace, unity and hope across Africa.
He left Goma on 27 May and has been pedalling on his bike across towns, cities and countries, covering a distance of 6,000km, where every kilometre carried a message and every drop of sweat a prayer for his land.
Why a bicycle as a tool for peace? In Miguel’s own words:
“Because a bike knows no boundaries. Because it brings people together across languages, colours and cultures. Because he forces me to stop, meet, listen and understand. Because every pedal kick brings hearts closer together as cities.
“The bicycle is slow, but in that slowness, it leaves us time to build bridges, not walls.”
According to RFI Africa, Goma has been shaken by brutal attacks by armed groups since January, but Masaisai’s initiative was planned in 2023, long before the latest crisis. Pedals for Peace has aimed to showcase a different side of the DRC – the one hidden behind the headlines.
Looking back on an incredible mission completed in the Mother City, Miguel’s heart is filled with gratitude for all the love and support he experienced from people of all cultures and different walks of life along the way.
“Today, it’s not just Miguel who has arrived in Cape Town. It is the Congo, the whole of Africa, that drove towards peace,” he said upon arrival.
Miguel expressed his thanks to all the African ambassadors and kind strangers who believed in his dream, acknowledging them as the true pillars of his mission.
“Everywhere I went, my Congolese brothers and sisters opened their arms to me. From every city in East Africa and Australia, they greeted me with songs, smiles and warmth.
“I honour all the countries I’ve been to – Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. Each of you wrote a page of this story with me,” Miguel said.
Sources: Miguel Masaisai
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His journey was a testament to perseverance, grassroots activism, and the power of sport to unite.