Key messages:
- The Hollard Daredevil Run acknowledges the critical role women play in men’s health, recognising that partners, mothers, sisters and daughters are often the driving force behind a man’s decision to get screened.
- Research consistently shows that women are instrumental in encouraging men to seek medical attention. The Daredevil Run amplifies this influence by giving women a platform to advocate openly for the men in their lives.
- The campaign actively engages women as participants in the fight against male cancers, understanding that lasting behavioural change in men’s health is rarely achieved without the involvement of those closest to them.
- By bringing women into the conversation, the Daredevil Run extends its reach beyond the men who run, to the households, relationships and communities where the real decision to get tested is often made.
- The Hollard Daredevil Run calls on women across South Africa to use their influence with purpose. Encouraging the men they love to register, participate and get screened is an act that can prove life-saving.
- Prostate and testicular cancers affects entire families, not only the men diagnosed. The Daredevil Run honours the women who advocate, support and push for early detection, recognising their contribution as essential to the campaign’s impact.
Diseases such as prostate and testicular cancers, affect more than the men themselves – a diagnosis can impact the entire family emotionally, practically and financially. While responsibility for a man’s health should ultimately rest with him, the women in his life can be powerful supporters of early detection. Sometimes it’s the nudge that matters most.
This is a conversation and message that the Hollard Daredevil Run wants to encourage for homes, businesses, schools, families, communities and relationships across South Africa.
Now in its 17th year, the Hollard Daredevil Run sees thousands of men take to the streets around South Africa dressed in purple speedos, an initiative that gets South Africans talking about prostate and testicular cancers and the importance of early detection. This initiative also acknowledges the critical role women play in men’s health and actively engages women as participants in the fight against prostate and testicular cancers.
As a wife and mother of two adult sons, Hollard South Africa’s Head of Experiential Marketing, Adél Kriel, says that caring about her family means sharing information and creating an environment that makes it easier to talk about men’s health. “We can’t make their health decisions for them, but we can start conversations, ask questions and encourage them to take action. That’s what makes the Hollard Daredevil Run so powerful – one purple speedo can start a conversation that reaches far beyond the man wearing it,” she says.
Just as women have long understood the value of community and the friends, family and support networks they turn to through life’s ups and downs, men need spaces where they can support and encourage one another too. Over the years, the Hollard Daredevil Run has helped create just that: a growing community of like-minded men who can stand together, challenge stigma and normalise conversations about men’s health. The impact extends well beyond race day, with every purple speedo, shared story and conversation helping to shift attitudes around men’s health.
While many families will recognise the important role women play in the health and wellbeing of their loved ones, research increasingly supports just how significant that influence can be.
One such study amongst men with a family history of prostate cancer, whose partners were highly involved in their screening decisions, found that men were more than three times as likely to have undergone PSA testing compared with single men1.
Simply saying ‘Have you had your PSA checked?’ or ‘Have you noticed any lumps, swelling or anything that feels different?’ could potentially save a life.
The statistics underline why these conversations matter.
One in four black men and one in eight white men in South Africa will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime, while black African men face a 60% greater risk2. Prostate cancer is also the country’s top invasive cancer3, making early detection through a simple PSA blood test particularly important.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa advises men at higher risk (including black African men and those with a first-degree family history of prostate or breast cancer) to do an annual PSA test from age 40. For other men, yearly PSA screening is recommended from age 45.
Although testicular cancer is less common overall, it is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among young men aged 15 to 49, with approximately one in every 250 males developing the disease during their lifetime4. Early detection is associated with excellent treatment outcomes. The Cancer Association of South Africa encourages men and boys in this age group to check their testicles monthly for any changes and to seek medical advice promptly if they notice a lump, swelling or anything unusual.
Mothers can have an especially important role to play in testicular cancer awareness by starting these types of conversations early, making their sons aware about what to look for and encouraging them to know what is normal for their bodies.
When Marc Curlewis felt a lump in his testicles while in the shower, he knew that it couldn’t be ignored.
He was about to turn 30, and since his early teen years, his mother had been reminding him and his brother to “check their goolies” at least once a month for any lumps. Being a nurse and working with the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), Olivia Curlewis was passionate about reminding both of her sons about the symptoms of testicular cancer and the importance of regular self-examination. Because he had been informed about the warning signs of testicular cancer from a young age, the early diagnosis meant that the cancer had not spread to his lymph nodes. Marc underwent surgery and two rounds of chemotherapy and is now cancer-free. As a cancer survivor, he now advocates for NGOs such as CANSA and encourages men to go for regular screening.
What might have been an annoying and embarrassing conversation at the time, ended up being a lifesaver for Marc.
Lasting behavioural change in men’s health is rarely achieved without the involvement of those closest to them. Encourage your partners, friends, colleagues and family members to become more aware about prostate and testicular cancers and to join this the Hollard Daredevil Community by registering for this year’s event.
For more information about the Hollard Daredevil Run, go to https://www.hollard.co.za/daredevilrun.
References:
- Prostate cancer screening in men with a family history of prostate cancer
- Black Men: Know Your Risk | Prostate Cancer Foundation
- The Top Invasive Cancers Reported in South Africa (NCR 2024)
- CANSA Fact Sheet on Testicular cancer
About Hollard
The Hollard Insurance Group (“Hollard”) is South Africa’s largest privately owned insurance group. Hollard provides short-term, life insurance and investment products to a diverse customer base. Hollard through Hollard International has access to 10 markets across the continent namely South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
