4 minute read
God Incidences
How a South African created his American Dream
By Ally Gallagher
Many major life events led Lynton Mare from his childhood in Pretoria, South Africa, to becoming a successful businessman in Colorado Springs. He calls them “God incidences.” Mare grew up in Pretoria, South Africa, a large city near Johannesburg. South Africa has one of the highest rates of sexual violence and homicide in the world.
“Coming from a third-world country – it’s very different,” Mare says. “People in a third-world country kind of have to fend for themselves – it’s very important.”
“A God incidence,” says Mare.
Then, the woman he had a crush on in college moved to the U.S. temporarily.
Lynton Mare and Simonè
Lynton and now-wife Simonè (right)-- after five years and nine time zones. Mare's career has included playing rugby, driving for ride-share service, and owning a mortgage lending company. From the Mare personal collection
“I would probably say this is my favorite piece to my journey here in the United States,” Mare says, recalling the beginning of his relationship with his now-wife, Simonè. “I call it a God incidence because it 100% is.”
Simonè was in Philadelphia, so Mare worked full-time to afford weekend trips to see her. Using his project management degree from Northwest University of Potchefstroom, Mare began work as a project manager in Denver while still playing professional rugby.
“It was rough. But the thing was I knew exactly what I had in her,” Mare says. “She’s one of a kind. She’s the most incredible thing that’s ever happened to me.”
After her time as an au pair in America, Simonè moved back to South Africa. Mare had a dream of raising a family with Simonè in America, so he took another job as a rideshare driver. On a typical weekday, he would wake at 3:45 a.m. to train for rugby, then go to his job as a project manager. He would train again during his lunch break, then drive for Uber and Lyft for a couple hours after work. On weekends, he would drive 20-25 hours more.
“It’s not motivation, it’s discipline,” he says. “There’s a very, very big difference between motivation and discipline,” according to Mare. “Am I motivated to wake up that early every single morning? No…but that’s where the discipline comes in.”
One weekend, Mare received a Lyft ride request for 3 a.m. from Colorado Springs to Denver International Airport, about an hour’s drive.
Mr. Lynton Mare, COS businessman and former professional rugby player
“I’m tired, it’s going to be a very, very long night, I’m hardly going to get any sleep,” Mare thought to himself.
But, he had a feeling he needed to take the ride so he did. During that hour, Mare met his future business partner. The two went on to co-found a company, giving Mare a new work opportunity in mortgage lending. To Mare, it was another God incidence.
After five and a half years of a relationship spanning the Atlantic Ocean and nine time zones, Mare and Simonè reunited in America as an engaged couple and were married in March 2021.
“We were creating opportunities for our downlines, our bloodlines,” Mare says about the years of long distance. “Our children’s children, our kids’ kids, 150 years from now, they’re going to be [in America] because of the sacrifice that we chose to make.”
