Houstonian Going Off-Road In Africa To Fight HIV/AIDS

​What are you doing next month to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and poverty in South Africa? Hair Balls admits we didn't get around to scheduling any time for that, but Houstonian Ganesh Krishnan is heading to South Africa to participate in Enduro Africa, an eight-day motorcycle ride through the country's Wild Coast that raises money for different charities, including Prince Harry's Sentebale organization.

"I just didn't want to travel -- I wanted to do something to impact people's lives," Krishnan told Hair Balls. He says he got his charitable spirit from his father, who has always encouraged him to help others whenever possible.

While the event isn't well-known in the U.S., it's a big deal in the U.K., probably because of the attention bestowed upon it by the aforementioned prince. Krishnan says he was flipping through some British papers last year when he came across a story about the event, so he decided to buy a Honda off-roader and take some lessons. A few spills later, his work has paid off, and he and some friends are heading overseas.

"I think the toughest part is not being familiar with the terrain, and the test of my endurance,' he told us in an e-mail. "When I first read all this about Enduro Africa, not a single doubt came in my mind about this event. A quote that always comes to mind is from Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption...'get busy living, or get busy dying.' That comment has made an impact on me, and to this day I'm a true belive of carpe diem." 

Although it's too late to sign up for this year's event, Hair Balls encourages you daredevilish types to consider this for next year. We're a little scared of motorcycles, but we're checking to see if they'll let us bring our recumbent bike...