Imagine cycling 109km in under three hours, dressed in a full suit and tie! That is exactly what James McCallum did this past Sunday, in a most empathetic display of supporting children with limb disabilities.
Cape Town, South Africa (13 March 2025) – He set himself a big endurance challenge in the most unexpected gear, with a heart positioned to help children in need and he succeeded!
James McCallum, popularly known as “Man in a Suit” took on the gruelling Cape Town Cycle Tour recently with a mission to complete it in under three hours – and he did (in 2 hours 47 minutes in fact) while sporting a full formal suit!
While others sought the impressive athletic gear for peak performance, James chose the symbolic attire of the everyday working person, transforming his ride into a powerful message that any regular person can make a difference.
“As technology has evolved, so has the quality of exercise equipment and apparel, which has consequently made training and competing easier and more efficient.
“It is difficult for us to think about making our training and/or competition more difficult by wearing clothes that do not “serve the purpose”,” James explains.
By racing in what we imagine to have been an uncomfortable suit for the occasion, James aimed for an impact that went beyond personal pursuit, seeking to touch lives and support a charity close to his heart: Jumping Kids.
This charity does incredible work in supplying and maintaining quality prosthetic equipment for children living with lower limb amputation or limb-related disability across South Africa.
Supporting this cause deeply resonated with James as someone who has come to realise that disabled athletes face complex mental challenges whilst simultaneously overcoming physical setbacks when it comes to competitive endurance sports.
With this weight on his heart, he pedalled through each kilometre in his suit and tie, making the race twice as challenging in support of differently-abled athletes while also celebrating their resilience.
“Doing endurance events in a suit is undoubtedly the most physically and mentally tough thing I have done.
“However, disabled athletes overcome far tougher mental and physical hurdles each day and as a result, it is my hope that being the “Man in a Suit” will help raise money to help lessen those burdens,” he shares.
What a heartfelt act of solidarity!
Sources: Supplied
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