It would be a lie to say that traveling across the country is on my bucket list. To say I regret doing this would be an even bigger lie. This run was more than I thought it would be. I’ve never felt more accomplished than jumping into the ocean after a seven-day run on the south coast of Haiti. It wasn’t until that moment that I really felt the true meaning or purpose of running. I can now categorically say that this is the most humbling and rewarding achievement of my life.
So why would I sign up for a 200+ mile run across the country? My personal reasons remind me of my grandmother. She is a WWII survivor (which tells you how tough and strong she is) and has the biggest heart in the world. She will not hesitate to help anyone in any way she can. To continue her legacy, my amazing and beautiful wife and I are working to use our gifts in endurance sports to help others.
We are involved with organizations such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Diabetes Organization and the PHenomenal Hope team. We help these organizations fundraise, promote and raise awareness through endurance sports. This time, we’re helping Work (formerly Team Tassy) achieve their goal of ending poverty in Haiti through good work with dignity. The goal of the run is to showcase the beauty of Haiti and its people to the world, and to raise funds for healthcare, job training and education for children.
Going into this race, I know it’s going to be a really tough race. Not only do we have to run across the country, we have to deal with the terrain, the heat of the tropical climate, busy markets along the way, traffic, blisters on our feet, keeping up with our nutrition, and what not. disease. This was by far the most physically demanding 7 day challenge of my life, having completed triathlons and ultramarathons in Brazil. From day one to finish, each day brings new challenges for all runners. For example, our first day was a 34 mile run with the finish line on the school hill. The school house has no running water, holes in the roof, no electricity and an outhouse for bathroom facilities. After a 34 mile run and the final 8 miles uphill, the last thing we want to do is sleep on the floor under a mosquito net and not shower.
The reward came not from completing each run, but realizing why more than 40 people from the US and Canada came together in Haiti. The reward came in realizing why 27 runners made this grueling run across the country in the heat and overcame mountains and injuries along the way. We all have the same reason, and that is for the people of Haiti. We want them to have the opportunity to feed their families without sacrificing their health, their children’s education and their livelihood.
I remember kids coming to see us and play football with us on the first day of school, families living in landfills greeting us with handmade pins and showing their gratitude, kids running miles with us and them Smiles on faces, tears of joy from parents who had the opportunity to put their kids through school, and so on. They often come to mind, which is really what makes this run so humbling and rewarding.
Everyone runs or races for their own reasons. Each of the 27 entrants shared a similar desire to benefit the people of Haiti, and each had their own personal reasons for entering. My own reason is to use my love of endurance sports to help others and continue my grandmother’s legacy. I’ll end this blog with a question from a famous ultrarunner; “When it comes time for you, is the goal to leave a well-preserved body, or do you really want to use it?”.
