First-year Stellenbosch University (SU) chemistry lecturer Dr Marietjie Lutz is back in the saddle for a good cause, raising funds for students in need. But this time she is tackling the 2026 Absa Cape Epic – a gruelling 707 kilometres of “raw wilderness” and 15 900 metres of climbing.

“It will be tough; it will be a beast. But we are excited and we are ready,” she says, with just a few days left before she and cycling partner Juanita Kruger depart from Meerendal Wine Estate on Sunday 15 March for the prologue.

The full-time lecturer and mother of four meets the demands of this premier mountain bike race by riding at 05:00 during the week. Her daughter, Isabel, in Grade 12 at Bloemhof, often joins her for the morning rides as support and motivation. Lutz also spends up to ten hours on weekends on the bicycle. Fortunately, this challenge is a “team effort”, and the Lutz family pitches in where needed if Mom has to train.

Lutz is no stranger to cycling for a good cause, having twice ridden 600 km from George to Cape Town as part of the “Wheels of Opportunity – WOOP” initiative. The idea for WOOP developed after Lutz discovered in 2022 that one of her students was facing homelessness because of financial need and yet was still achieving academically. She decided to support financially struggling BSc undergraduate students through a fundraising cycling challenge.

This year, Lutz will once again support the Maties #Move4Food initiative through WOOP, and she hopes to raise at least R100 000 for students in need. Last year, WOOP surpassed its target, raising R180 000 in total over the past two years.

Celebrating milestones

Having turned 50 last year, Lutz says the Epic is the ideal way to celebrate this milestone – by celebrating life and giving back to those who need it most. It won’t be the first time she tackles this highlight on the mountain-biking calendar. Having completed it in 2016 and 2017, this third race will grant her membership of Amabubesi, the Absa Cape Epic Finisher Club. Amabubesi means “pride of lions” in Zulu.

Kruger, Lutz’s cycling partner, is also celebrating an important milestone – being 10 years cancer free. A theatre nurse from Somerset West, Kruger will also become a member of the Amabubesi when they complete the course on 22 March. “I cannot think of someone better to do this with than her.”

Changing lives

For Lutz, the challenge once again allows her to combine her love of cycling with a good cause. She shares that the student her WOOP initiative helped last year is now in her final year. As one of the so-called “missing middle” students who did not qualify for government funding, Lutz’s support enabled her to register for her studies. Blessed Muyanga, the student who inspired the WOOP fundraiser four years ago, graduates from SU in March. “It is important to not just focus on yourself, but to make a contribution – no matter how small – to someone else’s future,” says Lutz.

With just days to go until they line up for the first stage of this iconic race, Lutz admits that there are some nerves. “Growth rarely happens in the comfort zone. Challenges like the Cape Epic push you physically and mentally, but when you are riding for something bigger than yourself, the motivation becomes stronger than the discomfort.”

To donate, visit: https://www.givengain.com/project/marietjie-raising-funds-for-stellenbosch-university-south-africa-120424>