Watch Me Rise was founded in 2016 by Gareth Kropman and Daniel van der Merwe after they decided to branch away from their long-time careers in IT to focus on a more worthwhile cause. They wanted to help people fulfill their truest potential by living not only their full length of life but the width of it as well.
Watch Me Rise is a platform intended to transform Gareth and Daniel’s joy and passion for helping, leading, and motivating into a global movement to raise awareness around mental health and to help YOU develop the best version of yourself.
DJ Run is our annual running event. It is part of our campaign to create awareness of the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.
As of 2020, the DJ Run is hosted as a virtual event to allow as many participants as possible from all over the world.
Year 8! 2025 is our eighth annual DJ Run! We are so proud of the incredible community that has formed around this event.
Join us for a week-long event of in-person and online physical activities and mental health talks.
Together we can make a difference and we are eager for YOU to play a role in the bright future ahead of DJ Run and Watch Me Rise.
The event will not be taking place in a singular location. You can therefore participate from wherever you are in the world.
We will be integrating with Strava to track everyone’s exercise submissions. See the frequently asked questions below or contact us if you are having trouble or need more information
The semicolon has become a small but powerful symbol in the mental health community — a reminder of hope, resilience, and the decision to keep going.
Unlike other punctuation, a semicolon isn’t the end of a sentence — it’s a pause before continuing. And that’s what it stands for: taking a breath, then choosing to keep writing your story.
For many, it’s a mark of courage and connection. A quiet tribute to their own journey, or to someone they’ve loved and lost. It reminds us that we’re not alone — that even in the darkest moments, there’s still strength, support, and solidarity.
As part of DJ Run 2025 and the Watch Me Rise initiative, we’re honoured to take part by offering black semicolon tattoos (under 5cm) for R600 throughout the week.
If you’d like to add colour or extra detail, we’ll happily create a custom quote for you.
Join us in wearing this symbol — not as an ending, but as a reminder that your story continues.
