Japanese man ends 6,000km Africa rickshaw trek in Cape Town
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Japanese runner, Gump Suzuki pulls his rickshaw alongside his supporters near the Waterfront in Cape Town on Jan 26.
PHOTO: AFP
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CAPE TOWN - A 34-year-old Japanese man on Jan 26 arrived in Cape Town to end a more than 6,000km journey from Kenya to South Africa on foot while pulling a rickshaw.
Mr Yuji “Gump” Suzuki was emotional as he thanked his supporters for their backing during his latest quest which started in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi in July and took him through Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.
“I couldn’t make it without you guys,” Mr Suzuki said. “I am running for fun. I have been travelling for nine years already and I get the power from you guys so I give you guys power, too. That’s my life.”
Among his other journeys, Mr Suzuki has already pulled his two-wheeled cart from China to India (2016-2017), for 2,500km in Europe (2017) and 5,100km across the United States (2022-2023), according to his website.
His rickshaw weighs more than 100kg.
Mr Suzuki wears a version of Japan’s traditional tabi socks while on his journeys, which he posts about on social media. AFP
