Mandela And The Power Of Motorcycles To Let Freedom Reign

One of the most extraordinary men of the 20th century left the planet yesterday. Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95. He survived 26 years of imprisonment by the South African government for inciting an end to non- violent protests against apartheid. Shortly after his release from prison, Mandela went on to lead his country from 1994 until June 1999.

He was the chief architect of the peaceful transition to a democratic, post- apartheid, South Africa and it's difficult to see how that process could have taken place without him.

But Mandela achieved more that that. The list of his accomplishments is too great to list here. His enthusiasm for motorcycles as a power bring people together and his support for motorcycling changed the perception of motorcycles and bikers in Africa.

Every year on Mandela's birthday (July 18th), a group of motorcycle riders cross South Africa on a 2,200 kilometre ride. The event is organized by his private secretary and BMW GS rider, Zelda La Grange, who also manages the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The multiracial, multilingual group of South African riders spend a week riding from village to village, doing good along the way. They stop in a village to clean streets, in another to paint houses and support fund raising events.

When asked why she pioneered the ride, Zelda said "there's so much good in the biker community and we all aspire to do good".

In an interview with BMW, Zelda La Grange said the best advice Mandela gave her was this:

"The way you approach a person will determine how that person reacts to you. If you question another person's integrity then it's a reflection of your own integrity. It's so simple to apply that to everyday life, and it's something that stays with you every single moment of every day... He took a conscious decision how to behave - and we all have that choice."

Mandela will be remembered as a great leader and an inspiration to many. Let freedom reign.