Trail runner Stephanie Crossland will be running to raise funds for Cape Town’s mountain heroes in May. Little did she know that this month, she’d actually become one!
Cape Town, South Africa (17 March 2026) – Being in Cape Town calls for a mission up a mountain. Unfortunately, the adventure turned serious for a 66-year-old visitor from Belgium on Sunday.
While hiking the lower section of Platteklip Gorge with her husband, the heat became overwhelming – it was especially hot in Cape Town last week.
The sun was unforgiving on the trail, the most direct and popular hiking trail to the top of Table Mountain. The situation became an emergency when the woman collapsed and lost consciousness.
“The couple had walked from the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Lower Cable Station to the base of the gorge in very hot conditions when the woman suddenly began to feel weak. She sat down and briefly lost consciousness before regaining awareness and vomiting – a concerning sign of heat-related illness.” shares the Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR).
Stephanie Crossland, a runner from the West Coast Athletic Club, leapt into action when she came across the couple and realised what was happening. Having recently attended a safety talk by WSAR, she knew exactly what to do…
She immediately called the emergency number (021 937 0300) and then dug into her running pack to find a space blanket. She used it to create a makeshift sun shield, keeping the tourist protected until rescuers arrived.
“WSAR would like to extend a sincere thank you to Medhold Medical for their generous donation of emergency space blankets. Some of these were distributed during the recent West Coast Athletic Club safety evening – and in this case, one of them was used exactly as intended to help protect a collapsed hiker from the harsh sun.” shares WSAR.
When the WSAR team reached them, they were able to cool the woman down with wet towels and eventually piggybacked her all the way down the trail to an ambulance waiting. It was a team effort, but it started with one person being willing to stop and help a stranger.
The best part of this story is that Stephanie’s mountain heroics are only just beginning. She is currently gearing up for the Cableway Charity Challenge, an incredible event where athletes summit the mountain multiple times in a day (as many times as possible) to raise funds for the very people who keep our trails safe.
“We’d also like to recognise the runner who raised the alarm, Stephanie Crossland, who will soon be taking on the Cableway Charity Challenge to raise funds for charity.”
If you’d like to back Stephanie’s mission, you can help her give back to the silent heroes of our mountains by sponsoring her challenge here!
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