From the academic field to the finish line

🐘🏃‍♂️ From protecting wildlife to empowering students – University of Pretoria (UP) staff member Prof André Ganswindt is running the 90km Comrades Marathon with a purpose.

On 8 June 2025, André, a renowned wildlife researcher and Director of the Mammal Research Institute at UP, will tackle the gruelling Comrades Marathon – not just for the thrill of the challenge, but to open doors for young minds across South Africa and help them #CrossTheFinishLine.

As the holder of the Oppenheimer Chair for Emerging African Scientists in Non-Invasive Wildlife Research, André has spent years mentoring the next generation of African researchers. Now, he's taking his commitment beyond the lab and into the streets – raising funds for the Vice-Chancellor and Principal’s Scholarship Fund at UP.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal’s Scholarship Fund supports bright, financially needy students in the “missing middle” who might otherwise never get the chance to access higher education. For André, the path to conservation and research was paved by...