Blind adventurer Angela Blackwell and guide dog Jaydee tackle the Pondo Trail for charity

Angela Blackwell from Vredehoek, along with her guide dog Jaydee, will be taking on the four-day Pondo Trail at the beginning of February to support the South African(SA) Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind.

Ms Blackwell’s fundraising initiative, which she calls “Paws on the Path,” aims to raise R500 000 for the SA Guide-Dogs Association, a national non-profit that has a branch in Claremont.

She and Jaydee will aim to complete the trail - an experience created by the Wild Child Africa tourism organisation - in the Eastern Cape.

She will be exploring 60km of South Africa’s Wild Coast in this challenge. She will fly to Port Edward at the beginning of next month, where her fundraising charity adventure will see a boat launch, doing beach walks, hiking up headlands, weaving along cattle paths, and crossing rivers.

Ms Blackwell lost her sight in 2021 due to retinitis pigmentosa - a group of rare, inherited eye disorders that cause the gradual breakdown and loss of the retina's light-sensing cells.

She spent over two decades in tech marketing, leading campaigns and global teams at one of the world’s Fortune 500 companies before taking a career break in 2024.  “Meeting my guide dog, Jaydee, was a real turning point in my vision loss journey. She gave me freedom and independence anchored in my safety and the confidence to do brave things,” said Ms Blackwell.

Ms Blackwell said this hike shows how empowering having a guide dog can be. “ I want others to experience this same life-changing gift.”

She will receive support from the Wild Child Africa team during her journey.

Marketing Manager at the SA Guide-Dogs Association, Toni Erasmus, said the organisation is always inspired by the remarkable bond between an assistance dog and its owner. “It’s incredible to see Angela and Jaydee approach this journey with such heart and dedication.

"We are truly grateful for the generous support we receive. Every donation makes it possible for us to provide more life-changing assistance dogs to people who need them most,” she said.

So far, Ms Blackwell has raised over R48 000 in the Paws on the Path fundraising campaign.

If anyone would like to support the charity event, they can visit her Paws on the Path on the BackaBuddy fundraising platform.

You can also visit the SA Guide-Dogs Association for more information.