Arie has walked the six Centurion Walks in the world: 160 kilometers in 24 hours

Arie started walking a few years ago when the doctor told him he needed to lose weight. “I lost 35 pounds and wanted it to continue. I walked a lot and set the Kennedy Walk as my goal. Shortly after, we were told my wife had cancer. After she died, I was completely engrossed in the walk. It clears my head and all the misery goes away for a while.”

A new challenge soon came Arie’s way, the so-called ‘Centurion Walk’. The origin of this intense walking tour is in England, where it began in 1911. “The intention is that you will cover 100 English miles in 24 hours. That’s about 160 kilometres. There are six in the world. I started in South Africa, then those in England, New Zealand, the United States and the Netherlands followed, only Australia was still missing.

“The first three attempts there failed and that was the last. I trained even harder and was in Melbourne two weeks before the game. I only rested there, walked and eaten healthy. I am very proud that he has now succeeded and it really gives me a feeling of euphoria,” says Arie, still beaming.

It can be clear that it requires steel stamina. Arie trains for months before a competition. “I walk at least 10 kilometers a day at an average of 8.5 kilometers per hour. I only do it on feeling and I don’t have a coach or trainer. I listen to my own body and it tells me what to do. I can really commit to something and go for it completely.

“What I do during these 24 hours of play is hard to say, because I really don’t think about anything. Sometimes I eat something quickly, put on a new shirt or have to go to the bathroom. But the last time I I didn’t even think about it. It wasn’t until the finish that I felt I really needed it. I had been so focused.

Despite this concentration, Arie sometimes has an idea of ​​the environment in which he walks. “The match at Robben Island in South Africa was really special. We walked along the coast at night. The sea was very wild, penguins walked the course with an illuminated Cape in the background and Table Mountain behind. It was really beautiful!”

And now, after six Centurion Walks, Arie can think about his walking pension. “I still have a few things to do. I will run my tenth and eleventh four-day walks. But I want to finish the very hard training and the walk, because it hurts too.