A South African charity called Bling for Bravery is giving old race medals a beautiful second life by presenting them to children who are recovering from surgery, recognizing that young hospital patients are running their own kind of marathon through medical treatments and procedures. Founder Dean Dicks started the program after realizing that the dedication and bravery required to train for a race mirrors the courage these kids show when facing operations and recovery, and he has personally watched how a single medal can light up a child’s face and boost their confidence after a tough procedure. The charity has already given out 3,500 medals along with books, teddy bears, clothes and school supplies to young patients at children’s hospitals across South Africa, turning forgotten athletic achievements into treasured symbols of medical courage. These aren’t just cheap participation awards but real finisher medals that runners and athletes earned through months of hard training, which makes them even more meaningful to children who are fighting battles that most adults can’t imagine.
If you have old race medals collecting dust in a closet or garage, the charity is accepting donations at several drop off locations around Gauteng including fitness studios and running stores, with a deadline of January 30th for this collection drive. For people living in other parts of the country, there are options to mail medals directly to the organization by contacting them through their Facebook page. Dean explains that these medals become lifelong keepsakes for the children, creating precious memories of the time they faced something scary and came out stronger on the other side. Your forgotten finisher medal from that 5K or marathon could become a young patient’s most prized possession and a reminder that they are champions too.
