Joost van der Westhuizen
The Springboks have accepted the challenge:
WATCH: Springbok video here:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQZ_Xxx8_XY[/youtube]
Former Springbok legend Joost van der Westhuizen has become the latest celebrity to take the Ice Bucket Challenge, to raise funds for motor neuron disease, according to the Times Live website.
WATCH: Joost take the Ice Bucket Challenge:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntQgJXwgIoM[/youtube]
Sport24
Filmed at his home in Dainfern, Van der Westhuizen, clad in shorts, J9 Foundation sweater, snorkel and flippers, completed the challenge before nominating the “Springbok, All Blacks and Australian rugby teams” to follow suit.
If a nomination is accepted and completed within 24 hours, the participant donates $10. But if the challenge is refused a nominee must donate $100 towards MND.
Van der Westhuizen, 43, joins celebrities and sporting icons like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Garcia, Gary Player and the Manchester United team to have accepted the icy challenge.
Van der Westhuizen has been living with motor neuron disease since 2011. The condition usually leaves patients with two to five years to live after diagnosis.
Wallabies accept Joost’s challenge:
Wallaby scrumhalf Nic White has accepted Joost van der Westhuizen’s Ice Bucket Challenge. Good on ‘ya, mate!
WATCH: Wallabies accept Joost’s Ice Bucket Challenge:
[youtube]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dvm1B-PbOR8[/youtube]
Van der Westhuizen issued the challenge to the “Springbok, All Blacks and Australian rugby teams” after donning a snorkel and flippers at his home in Dainfern.
Van der Westhuizen has been living with motor neuron disease since 2011. The condition usually leaves patients with two to five years to live after diagnosis
Good on the Wallabies for accepting the challenge.
All Blacks also accept the challenge:
Auckland – The All Blacks and Wallabies are up for a new quest outside of Saturday’s Rugby Championship encounter after being named by former Springboks great Joost van der Westhuizen to take an “ice bucket challenge”.
The challenge, in which participants are doused in icy water, has swept the world as a way to raise awareness of motor neuron disease which Van der Westhuizen suffers from.
The 1995 World Cup winning scrumhalf was diagnosed in 2011 and is now confined to a wheelchair.
In a video released by his family this week, a frail Van der Westhuizen is seen laughing and smiling as friends and family dressed him in goggles and flippers before dousing him ice blocks and water.
The 43-year-old afterwards challenged the All Blacks and Wallabies to take part and both sides indicated on Friday they were willing.
“It’s a pretty terrible thing he’s had to deal with. Everyday we’re in the ice after training so we might have to do something like that. We’re always up for a challenge,” All Blacks captain Richie McCaw said ahead of the Auckland Test.
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said his side has “taken that on board and we’ll work something out”.
Under the rules of an ice-bucket challenge, if a nomination is accepted and completed within 24 hours, the participant donates $10. But if the challenge is refused a nominee must donate $100 towards combatting motor neuron disease.
Money raised goes to the ALS Association, which combats amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Former US president George W. Bush took part this week, joining hundreds of celebrities worldwide including Steven Spielberg, Justin Bieber, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey and David Beckham.
Great stuff Wallabies and All Blacks.
And of course Joost, wonderful to see him still in good spirits.
C’mon Bokke, last week’s hail in Loftus doesn’t count, but at least it gave you guys some preparation for the ice bucket. 😀
Joost looks so frail in the video.
@ nortierd:
Yes nortie, but he looks to be in good spirits.
He made the TV Sports News here in NZ with his Challenge.
Joost one of the best halfbacks of all time.
@ cane:
Good to hear the NZ TV ran it.
Great challenge and wonderful cause.
On Wedensday morning the local radio station here, Jacaranda FM spoke to Tinus Linee’s wife and sponsored her money as well.
Tinus is completely bedridden now, sad, he was also a great servant of WP rugby
Not wanting to throw a dampener on those suffering, I lost a great man who was like an uncle to me, Rob Pawson to this disease just over a week ago, but the ice bucket challenge is a cop out in my opinion.
Donate money, spend your time on fundraising activites, but this smacks of another self promoting “look at me” type of thing.
@ Stormersboy:
Sorry to hear of your loss Stormboy.
I trust your love and respect were of comfort to him.
@ Stormersboy:
Heard this morning on the radio that the awareness for the disease since the one bloke started the challenges has risen so much in the USA alone that their income through donations has risen by 200% or something.
That is surely a good thing?
I don’t think any celebs “select” themselves though, someone who has been challenged throws out the challenge to someone else, hence some celebs are challenged.
That’s the way I understand how this whole thing works, but I may be wrong
In 1989 my mother-in-law passed away from complications arising from motor neuron disease. Apart from the time of her diagnosis a few years prior to her death, and then again with Joost’s diagnosis, I had during the intervening period of more than 20 years never heard of the disease.
Anything to at least create awareness of this debilitating disease seems a worthwhile endeavour.
5 @ Stormersboy:
Hi Stormersboy sorry to hear of this happening to someone close to you, sounds like you were privileged to have the man in your life, all the best.
nortierd wrote:
That’s my point. If you consider the celebrities that have done it, from Justin Bieber to Mark Wahlburg, the actual effect on fundraising has been disproportionately low compared to the publicity that this stunt has caused.
Celbrity power is a massive thing, and imagine what could have happened if those people had gotten behind actual fundraising rather.
There has been increased funding for sure, but the biggest increase has been in the awareness of the ice bucket challenge rather than ALS in my opinion.
cane wrote:
Bullscot wrote:
Thanks guys, he was quite a character who blazed a wide trail through life, and led the way for others to follow. I am deeply saddened by his loss and will remember many moments with great fondness, but am grateful to have been around him and had the privilege of his company and wisdom.
@ Stormersboy:
“There has been increased funding for sure, but the biggest increase has been in the awareness of the ice bucket challenge rather than ALS in my opinion.”
True, haven’t thought of it like that
Heyneke got a bit of a shock 😆
@ Stormersboy:
There seems to be no rhyme nor reason why someone suffers from motor neuron disease or associated neurological (spelling) problems.
They could be us.
Or we them.
cane wrote:
Yes. Hopefully we will be able to understand more as time goes on….
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