In 2007 I set myself a goal to run a half marathon. A few months earlier I could barely run to the end of my street. After more than 2 hours of thumping along the bitumen I finished. 21.1km. My knees ached, my legs cramped. I couldn't reach down to take my shoes off. I was physically and emotionally spent. I swore I would never run again.
It took about half an hour for a sufficient amount of blood to return to my brain to comprehend what I had just done. No, it wasn't the finish line that was the achievement. In fact it didn't matter whether I had run 10km or 1000km. The achievement and the adventure was in the journey. I had experienced the crisp winter air at 4am, watched the sun rise over the ocean and with little more than a pair of running shoes travelled down roads & trails that I have never been and probably will never see again. You appreciate the small things when you run; little hills you never noticed, the shade of the trees on a hot day, the pathway leading to the park that you have driven past a thousand times promising yourself that one day you will stop there but never do.
I've now run marathons and ultra marathons. Some as part of competitions, and others just by myself to explore the world. I've run mountain trails in New Zealand, got lost in a swamp in Fiji, run through villages in Vanuatu and experience some pretty extreme weather on the west coast of Scotland.
On November 4th this year, I will run the New York Marathon. The most famous run in the world. My journey has already led me serendipitously to a new awareness and challenge. I mentioned my plans to my New York based sister-in-law Julie-Ann. She is a keen supporter of the charity CAMFED, and was seeking out new ways to raise funds and awareness. I felt that this was a new road to run, a new path to explore. At the end of that phone call I was thrilled to get involved.
Since 1993, CAMFED has fought poverty and AIDS by educating girls and empowering young women. In sub-Saharan Africa, 24 million girls can't afford to go to school. A girl may be marriedy as young as 13 and has a one in 22 chance of dying in childbirth. One in six of her children will die before the age of five. United Nations research shows that if you educate a girl she will:
- Earn up to 25 percent more and reinvest 90 percent in her family.
- Be three times less likely to become HIV-positive.
- Have fewer, healthier children who are 40 percent more likely to live past the age of five.
More than 1,451,600 children in impoverished areas of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana and Malawi have benefited from the innovative CAMFED education programs.
During my journey which will see me cross the finish line in the 2012 New York Marathon, I hope to raise $3000 for CAMFED.
I would really appreciate your support.
By making a donation at http://us.camfed.org/goto/camcarter, you can help a girl continue her education and open up new pathways towards a brighter future for them and their families.
