ISUZU SA BRAND AMBASSADOR AND PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAINEER MAKES AN APPEARANCE AT THE JOHANNESBURG INTERNATIONAL MOTORSHOW
Sibusiso Vilane, the mountaineer who has summited Mount Everest and is currently the brand Ambassador of Isuzu SA, made an appearance at the Johannesburg International Motorshow over the weekend. Hailing from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, Vilane says he accidentally stumbled upon the sport while working as a game ranger at a nature reserve where he would take guests on various trails of the reserve.
“Mountaineering was never in my aspirations as I knew nothing about the sport until one of the guests at the reserve suggested that I would make a good mountaineer as I was agile and took very little effort to cross rivers and amble over rocks,” says Vilane.
In August 1999, Vilane and 9 other mountaineers summited Kilimanjaro, which sparked his interest to conquer Mount Everest. Prior to this – in 2002 – he also managed to reach the top of the Himalayas, an achievement he says prepared him physically and mentally for the challenge that was Mount Everest.
Among his prestigious achievements, Vilane has also managed to conquer seven summits, which also include Mount Elbrus (Europe), Castensz Pyramid (Oceania), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), Mount Mckinley (North America), and Aconcagua (South America).
An adventurer in the true sense of the word, Vilane has also completed 5 Comrade Marathons and is looking to achieve various other ultra-marathons. He also quips that while he is not much of a swimmer, he is currently looking into taking lessons with the view of one day becoming an adept swimmer.
Vilane also mentions that being an ambassador of Isuzu coincides with his adventurous lifestyle as the vehicle represents a rugged and sturdy persona, something that resonates with him.
