???A week before her November exams at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) commenced, a final year medical student did something extraordinary. Sarah Camp (25) cycled from SU's Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health in Worcester to her hometown in Hillcrest, Durban, in just 10 days to raise more than R30 000 to help fellow students clear their debt.
What makes Camp's achievement even more remarkable is that after cycling 1 200 km she returned to campus the next day to ace her exams – she passed her MBChB degree cum laude with an average of 81% and seven distinctions, which put her in the top 12 of 2023's final year medical students at SU. She was also selected “Best Rural Clinical School Student of the Year".
Over the course of her medical studies, Camp received distinctions in 27 of the 30 modules she completed. “I feel over the moon about my results, and very lucky," she says. “There were definitely a few wobbles, all-nighters, and tight deadlines along the way! I'm not sure there's a secret to academic success, but I've always tried to work smart, to be interested in what I'm learning and to focus on understanding the basics. Over the past few years, I've also tried to balance the hospital and book time with other interests and projects."
Inspiration from Prof Thuli Madonsela
Inspired by Prof Thuli Madonsela's efforts to assist students with university debt, the doctor-to-be completed the phenomenal bicycle journey to raise funds for #Action4Inclusion, an initiative by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) at SU.
“Next year, Prof Madonsela's plans on walking three hundred kilometres to help clear student debt. I thought, wow, that's amazing. If the professor can do it, then why can't I?" Camp explained.
She left the Western Cape at 06:00 on 26 October on her mountain bike and arrived outside her home on Saturday, 3 November, to a jubilant welcome by family and friends – and her dog Spencer.
“It was the ride of my life," Camp said afterwards. “I never envisioned that I would cycle from one province to the next. It was most certainly an experience I will never forget."
She was accompanied by her friend and fellow medical student, Bianca Tout, who drove alongside.
Tout had the necessary equipment, food and water in the vehicle and never left her friend's side. Camp is deeply grateful for the help. “I appreciate our friendship so much because Bianca didn't have to do this, but she chose to do this journey with me," says Camp.
They planned to camp every night, but the kindness of strangers prevailed. “We phoned ahead every day to ask guest houses in the place where we wanted to overnight if we could pitch our tent in their garden. In all but one of the destinations the guest house owners, once they heard what we were doing, gave us free accommodation for the night.
“The journey has taught me to trust in the kindness of strangers – as with anything, it's people who support you and believe in you and help you achieve your goals. We received so many kind words on the road and people donated generously. You just have to open your heart and mind and reach out. People are often quick to criticise South Africa, but we really have a beautiful country filled with beautiful people. I'm so inspired by our brave undergraduates from all over the country, and by the passion and selflessness of people like Prof Madonsela and the team at #Action4Inclusion who support them. This is what being South African is all about," Camp says.
Unexpected setback
Shortly after her return Camp unfortunately experienced a setback – the bicycle she had used was stolen off the back of her car in Bellville while she was on her way to return it to her friend Tessa Brooke whom she borrowed it from. The culprit was caught, but the bicycle has not yet been recovered. Camp considers this a learning experience: “The moral of the story – do not leave a bike on the back of a car."
The bubbly young woman is no stranger to physical endurance and pushing the boundaries – she has traversed the 230 km Drakensberg Mountain range by foot, paddled the 330 km length of England's River Thames in a canoe, and earlier this year tackled her first Comrades Marathon.
After completing her final exams, Camp's grandfather treated her to a trip in Spain where she had been a Rotary exchange student in 2017. When she returned, Camp and two classmates (Bianca and Tessa) undertook another adventure – going on a road trip for ten days to Zimbabwe. They celebrated graduating in style, soaking up the African bush, camping, relaxing and exploring rural areas of our neighbouring country.
Camp feels passionate about supporting students graduates who are unable to access academic records upon graduation owing to student debt. Access to education shouldn't depend on wealth, she insists. “So many of my fellow students come from backgrounds where they have very little financial support. Many of them are the first generation in their family to attend university. We must all do what we can to help these trailblazers to fulfil their destiny. My journey was very symbolic because it tells the story of many students who've had to leave their birthplace to study in another province to better their lives and eventually make their way back home after completing their studies. This idea was merely to assist students where I can and relieve some tension as exams got underway," she says.
“The journey has shown me that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they set their mind to it – whether that's managing to fund your studies or being the first one in your family to graduate from university or cycling across the country. Anyone can ride a bike or attend class for a day. The principle is the same: It's not what you do that's difficult, it's having the perseverance to keep doing it day after day. And that's what takes you further than the next person to your goal."
Camp is waiting on news about her final placement for her two-year internship starting on 1 January. She would prefer a semi-rural/smaller centre placement where she can get good exposure and experience under a senior medical team.
In the long term, Camp is interested in emergency medicine, but whatever field she eventually specialises in, she will always have the travel bug leading her to new adventures and more good deeds.
PHOTO: Stefan Els
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