Gary Stephenson and his best friend and business partner have swum, run and cycled thousands of kilometres as participants in Iron Man. That’s impressive, but more impressive still is the millions of rands they have raised at the same time, through their initiative IronMan4TheKidz.
Gary was just eight years old when he first met Garth Wright. Both had newly settled in Uitenhage: Gary’s family had recently immigrated from England, and Garth had moved from Bedford because his father, recognising his rugby talent even then, thought that he would get better opportunities in a bigger city.
As it turned out, Garth’s father was right. Garth would go on to play scrumhalf for the Springboks, while Gary’s business prowess developed throughout his schooling career and ultimately saw him quality as a CA(SA). Their friendship remained steadfast throughout university, until their paths finally diverged: Gary’s career saw him completing articles at PwC before military training via a stint in the Commercial Crime unit at SAPS, and on to further his business experience at Eskom and Barlows Equipment Co. He then moved to Nelspruit and was working at Dickon Hall Products in the citrus-processing industry, before returning to Gqeberha to join Garth and forming the first remote surveillance firm in South Africa, Wright Surveillance. The business is a leader in offsite CCTV surveillance in South Africa, with many blue chip clients.
‘A crazy sport’
That business partnership laid the foundation for another partnership: IronMan4TheKidz. Although Gary couldn’t match Garth when it came to rugby, he says that sport had always been a big part of his life, from his days playing football in PE’s Premier League to time on the hockey field in the Master’s leagues.
Since fitness was very much a part of both their lives, it was no stretch for them to take up the challenge of Iron Man. Gary admits that the prospect was a little daunting: ’I’d done a couple of marathons and half marathons, as well as some cycling, but I wasn’t a swimmer. That was the hardest part for me: that moment when you’re standing on the beach, looking at the sea and knowing that you’re about to spend the next one and a half hours swimming isn’t easy.’ He laughs as he remembers his first Hobie Beach swim and his first fumble. ‘A bunch of us used to swim together on Friday after work. We’d all pulled on our wetsuits. Everyone was admiring mine because it was a beautiful bright blue, while theirs were black. Admiration turned to laughter when we realised I’d been wearing mine inside out!’
Gruelling though the training sessions were, Gary says that they became less of an item on the to-do list and more of a way of life, with runs, cycles and swims integrated into his weekly routines. Nonetheless, there was no denying that Iron Man was ’a crazy sport.‘ That’s why it gave rise to IronMan4TheKidz: ’We thought that if we were going to take up something like this, we’d better have a good reason for it. And what better reason that raising money for a worthy cause?‘
The duo decided that their cause should focus on children because, as Gary says, if you’re able to change someone’s start in life, giving them a safe environment to grow up in and a good education, the rest of their life can change, too.
One milestone after another
Gary has seen that insight proved right time and time again. The initiative has raised more than R43 million since 2006. ’It’s been going long enough for us to see the first kids we supported go on to graduate with university degrees,‘ he says – achievements which may not have happened were it not for IronMan4TheKidz’ intervention.
Gary says that the charity’s first round of fundraising gave no hint of what it would later become. Indeed, the entire Iron Man endeavour was rather basic compared to what it is today. ’Garth and I actually changed into cycling gear after our swim, and then into joggers for the run. My legs were really chafed afterwards! Of course, that wouldn’t happen today. The kit is far more high tech, and competitors are dressed for every event from the start of the race.‘ He and Garth finished the 2005 event with a time of 13 hours and 41 minutes and raised R11 000 in the process.
More than that, the pair had managed to gain attention, with people asking why they were raising money and how they could also help. Several Ironman legends indicated their interest, and went on to raise their own sponsorship and brand their own tops, managing to raise R100 000 the following year. By Year Three, IronMan4TheKidz had been named Iron Man’s official charity in South Africa. The initiative also became more professional, taking on Julia Banach to manage finances, providing branding and kit and selling additional branded items like socks and shorts.
Since then, the initiative has reached one milestone after another: in 2025, IronMan4TheKidz celebrated its twentieth anniversary, raising R5 million and introducing a celebrity relay event after receiving express permission. This was the only Iron Man relay event to be hosted worldwide, and while it is now an annual event, South Africa is the only country where it is hosted.
In 2022, Gary designed the Help A Hero platform, enabling supporters to receive donations, crowdsourcing style, from friends and family. This platform has raised over R4,3 million to date.
Ironman4thekidz involvement children positioned the team to recommend suitable bursary candidates for companies on the lookout for talent. This has helped to direct even more funds to children in need, while companies using the charity as a vehicle for sponsoring university bursaries means that IronMan4Kidz’ impact continues well beyond its original scope.
In total, IronMan4TheKidz has raised R43 million since inception, with monies donated to 23 children’s homes and charities in Gqeberha, East London, Mossel Bay and Durban. Along the way, it has received heartwarming support not only from local corporates, but also celebrities like former Springboks John Smit, Joel Stransky, Percy Montgomery, Marius Hurter and Ollie le Roux, cricketer André Nel, and Iron Man Champion Raynard Tissink. The CA community has also been highly supportive, Gary notes.
A new challenge
In 2025, Gary and Garth were recognised as The Herald’s Citizens of the Year (Sport) in 2025, thanks to their efforts. Heartwarming though such an achievement is, Gary says that it’s the reactions of the children themselves that keep him and Garth motivated. ’One of the most memorable homes we’ve worked with is Khayalethu, which shelters children and which was formed the same year that the charity commenced. Funding from IronMan4TheKidz has been used to build extra rooms and provide equipment for the home, but one of its most significant projects was the installation of a swimming pool at the centre. In March 2009, during a school outing, one of the children at the home, Tebogo Poka, dived into a pool to save his classmate from drowning. Unfortunately, he also couldn’t swim and both children drowned. Marietjie van der Merwe, Khayalethu head, made it her goal to ensure that all children from the home should learn to swim. In 2023 Ironman4thekidz teamed up with local businessman and fellow Ironman legend, Chris Howes and his team of generous Port Elizabeth businessmen, to construct a 25m pool in just 30 days,‘ Gary says.
Gary also remembers the Sabrina Love Foundation with great fondness. At every visit to this home for physically disabled children, the team was greeted by the sound of their band playing in welcome. ’We’d turn to look at each other, tears in our eyes, and agree that we simply had to raise more money for them!‘
Then there’s the Early Birds crèche built by IronMan4Kidz in Walmer Township. Seeing that parents used to drop their kids at a neighbourhood granny when they went to work, the charity built a fully equipped daycare centre staffed with a teacher and OT therapist.
Gary has completed 13 Ironman races and 32 Ironman 70.3 events to date. Although his own full Iron Man career came to an end after double bypass surgery, he continues to participate in the shorter events – and has had some truly unforgettable moments, including participating in the 2013 Iron Man World Championships in Kona (where the event originated) and, most recently, in the Iron Man 70.3 World Championships in Taupo, New Zealand, where he raced with his brother.
Gary and Garth now have their eye on launching larger projects, including sponsoring children’s entire school journey, supplying electric vehicles for children’s homes and building more township creches. The team have approached international funding agencies for their support.
Above all, Gary continues to live the Iron Man credo: Anything is possible. ’It’s a motto we want to pass on to the kids we work worth. We want to show them that all you need is to be given a chance. The rest is up to you – but you really can achieve anything you want to.‘
Author
Lisa Witepski
