25/09/2024
In the wake of the last Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon, we want to say thank you and pay tribute to one man in particular, the legendary Estienne Arndt, father and founder of KAEM.
For this man, nothing is impossible. Back in the year 2000, with extraordinary vision, a brave heart and pure guts, Estienne soon became one with the landscape of the Kalahari. Today, there’s not a road, track or footpath, koppie or valley that is unknown to him. The Kalahari Augrabies is imprinted in his mind. He has a remarkable ingenuity in putting an event plan together and making it work, taking into account numerous factors: from terrain diversity and technicality levels to vehicle accessibility and support, too many to list. Most important for this man was always to create an exciting and challenging but doable and enjoyable event for all participants and crew every year. With his knowledge and vast experience of the land, he delivered year after year an epic event. 🙌
In addition, Estienne’s leadership and skills in people-, resource-, and project management have proven invaluable in making KAEM one of the top multi-stage, self-sufficient events in the world with a repeat participant level of 30% year after year.
Thank you Estienne for your dedication, enriching our lives with a life-changing event that thrived for 25 years. Through your inventiveness our KAEM participants (and crew) gained the opportunity to discover the beauty of Kalahari Augrabies, conquered the challenge of KAEM, and made special memories that will remain with us forever. ♥️