South African sports personalities hit the road today for the annual Sport Heroes Against Aids Walk. The athletes will walk more than 1 500km to heighten awareness about the scourge of HIV/Aids. This year's team will be led by campaign founder and sports presenter Cynthia Tshaka. She will be joined by marathon runner Wille Mtolo, karate champion Bradley Grant Smith, world champion boxer Lehlohonolo Ledwaba, SA women's cricket vice-captain Daleen Terblanche, former Banyana Banyana captain Desiree Ellis, national basketball captain Neo Mothiba, national netball team member Tsakane Mbewe and two representatives from the South African Association of People Living with Aids, Kenny Sebati and Buea Nkaeleng.

Accompanied for the first time by a mobile testing unit, the athletes will walk to all nine provinces in South Africa to promote HIV testing, conduct sports clinics and to offer assistance to hospices and homes along the way. "The main objective of this campaign is to use sport as a tool to change people's lives and to raise funds to support those who are infected and affected," says Tshaka who founded the campaign in 2002."We have identified needy Aids hospices or homes with the help of local government and will supply them with the necessary tools and equipment they need to fight the epidemic. They do not receive assistance in the form of money but we purchase what they need on their behalf."To date the project has raised a total of R5-million which has been divided between various hospices in the country, she adds. Funds are raised throughout the year from corporate South Africa and Sport South Africa. This year the some of the funds raised will go to the Makeba Rehabilitation Centre for Girls, set-up by the late singing legend Miriam Makeba in 2003.