For most people, cycling more than 4,000 kilometres across Europe would be the adventure of a lifetime. For former Absa CEO Arrie Rautenbach, every kilometre carries a much bigger purpose.
Rautenbach, who has publicly shared his Parkinson’s diagnosis, is currently taking on the gruelling NorthCape4000, using the journey to raise awareness and funds while showing that a Parkinson’s diagnosis does not have to mean giving up a life of purpose and possibility.
The ride also marks the first major awareness initiative of the newly established Arrie Rautenbach Parkinson’s Foundation, an organisation created to improve Parkinson’s education and awareness in South Africa, encourage earlier diagnosis and ultimately support research towards finding a cure.
From the boardroom to the bicycle
The NorthCape4000 is not your average Sunday cycle.
The self-supported ultra-distance cycling adventure stretches approximately 4,000 kilometres from Rovereto in northern Italy to Norway’s North Cape.
Along the way, cyclists travel through eight countries, tackling the Alps before making their way through Germany, Sweden and Finland and eventually into the Arctic Circle.
There is no support vehicle following close behind. Riders are responsible for navigating the route, looking after their equipment, finding accommodation and dealing with whatever the road and weather throw at them.
For Rautenbach, however, getting to the finish line is only part of the challenge.
He wants South Africans to better understand a neurological condition that is still too often reduced to one visible symptom: tremors.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder that can affect movement, speech, sleep, mood, balance and cognitive function. While there is currently no cure, treatment and regular exercise can play an important role in managing symptoms and quality of life.
It is this need for greater understanding that helped inspire the establishment of the Arrie Rautenbach Parkinson’s Foundation.
“It doesn’t have to be the end of purpose”
After a career that included leading one of South Africa’s biggest financial institutions, Rautenbach is now taking on a very different leadership role.
This time, it is happening from the saddle of a bicycle.
“For many people, Parkinson’s represents the end of the life they imagined. I want people to know it doesn’t have to be the end of purpose, contribution or hope.”
Rautenbach says the ride is not about demonstrating his own strength, but about showing others what may still be possible following a diagnosis.
“This ride isn’t about proving how strong I am. It’s about showing what is still possible.”
It is a particularly powerful message when you consider what the journey itself demands.
Day after day, Rautenbach faces fatigue, changing weather, mountain climbs and seemingly endless stretches of road. His decision each morning remains the same: get back on the bicycle and keep moving.
“Parkinson’s may change the way you move, but it should never define who you are,” he says.
“If this journey encourages even one person to seek an earlier diagnosis, ask more questions or realise they are not alone, then every kilometre will have been worthwhile.”
Starting a bigger conversation in South Africa
Through the Foundation, Rautenbach hopes to tackle one of the biggest challenges surrounding Parkinson’s: misunderstanding.
Symptoms and experiences can differ significantly from one person to another, while some signs can emerge before a formal diagnosis.
By encouraging more open conversations and education around the condition, the Foundation hopes to replace some of the fear surrounding Parkinson’s with knowledge and support.
Rautenbach’s European adventure will eventually end at the North Cape, but the bigger journey he has started is intended to continue long after he gets off the bicycle.
He is expected back in South Africa on 5 September 2026.
For now, though, there are still kilometres to cover, conversations to start and one very determined South African continuing to pedal.
For more information about Rautenbach’s journey and the Arrie Rautenbach Parkinson’s Foundation, visit: https://arrieforparkinsons.com/
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