Mountain biking in Namibia—have you ever done that?

One of the toughest and most demanding mountain bike races is the Desert Dash in Namibia! Riding it is a dream for many passionate mountain bikers. Some ease themselves in with somewhat less demanding races and start out with smaller local races. Barbara Staps did the same, riding a small race during her time in Gobabis. But let’s start at the beginning…

Volunteer in Gobabis 2015

In 2015, Barbara Staps spent 6 months in Namibia volunteering with steps for children, helping the children and young people in Gobabis with schoolwork and homework, organising games and festivals, and implementing further ideas.

She also brightened the holiday period in Namibia for the steps children together with her fellow volunteers—with a Holiday Club.

In her free time

In her free time at the weekend, she was active in sports and asked around in the community: yes, there were also smaller mountain bike trails that she could ride with the locals and not just the Desert Dash. She doesn't need to be told twice - because like Ronny, Barbara also likes to ride cross-country. And then through the Namibian desert!

Barbara explains how she came to mountain biking in Namibia by chance:

“There was a poster in the supermarket in Gobabis: `Gobabis MTB Race`—and I immediately thought that I could take part. I had ridden an MTB a few times before, but never seriously and never in a race. So it was a slightly crazy idea. But then it took on a life of its own when I was able to borrow an MTB—just like that! This trust and kindness blew me away. And then I was even taken straight along to training! From then on, I rode with three like-minded people through the red sand around Gobabis at least once a week—sometimes even racing wildebeests and gazelles.

#Funfact:

By the way, camel thorns also break tubeless tyres...

The race itself was a very exciting experience; I achieved my goal of somehow making it to the finish line, with only one wet foot—the keyword being “floating bridge”.

I cycled a great deal in Gobabis, almost every day to school, shopping, the library, etc., all on a friendly, half-rusted bicycle that had foam under the tires instead of air. A bicycle that the project always made available to volunteers. And, just for fun, on a “real,” borrowed MTB.

It always felt strange: in Epako, almost nobody owned a bicycle, let alone a modern MTB. So it was an absolute privilege—something I would have so wished for the children and young people of Epako as well.

After that, I did some research and discovered that steps had already brought a container of bicycles to Namibia in collaboration with the local initiative BEN (Bicycle Enpowerment Namibia). There was also a workshop in Gobabis, although it was no longer being operated during my stay. So a great deal had happened long before my short time in Namibia to make bicycles available locally.

From left, Janna and Lisa, our steps volunteers from 2015, on bicycles – right in the middle of Gobabis.

During my 6 months in Gobabis, unfortunately I was unable to work on this passion project. All the more pleased am I that Markus and Ronny, with “their” race, not only want to highlight the fun and beauty of cycling, but also draw attention to the foundation and its facilities in Namibia.”

Still committed

Barbara is still committed to our steps children - she organised workshops for other former volunteers in Germany, gave her own children a guardian angel sponsorship at birth (making them probably the youngest guardian angels in our guardian angel community) and started for steps for children together with other volunteers as a steps team at the Airport Race in Hamburg to raise awareness for our foundation.

During her time in Namibia, Barbara was visited by her current husband Ronny. He is also a keen mountain biker. He stayed in our guest house in Gobabis for a few short days. Of course, he also visited our steps centre and had a look around.

This year, together with an equally passionate mountain biker, he is bringing steps to the Alps. The red steps jersey will shine on the seven-day tour. We wish Ronny and his fellow biker and friend Markus lots of joy, stamina and success.