!!GIVING TUESDAY UPDATE!!
(11/28/2023)

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Each year I sit down to share an update on the amazing things I’ve experienced and witnessed running for Team World Vision. But as it turns out, 2023 brought me my worst race ever!

In 7+ years of running with Team World Vision, I’ve never had a “normal” year. But 2023 has proven to be unique in ways I never expected. As you may know, last year I had the pleasure and honor of being invited to run the London Marathon, which took place in April. Though pleasure may not be the right word. The training was hard – I had never trained through the winter before, and the elements took a toll on me. Even on my last long training run, I had to put up with snow and sleet pelting my face while simultaneously sweating and shivering. But the struggle was worth it, and I would do it a hundred times over, because:

That’s enough to bring clean water to over 400 people (!) in places like Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, where far too many people are still suffering the deadly harmful effects of unsafe and inaccessible drinking water.

Eventually I made it to race week and flew to London with my wife and high expectations. I hoped for the London Marathon to be the most exciting and energetic marathon I’d ever run… and then I got food poisoning the night before the race. Thanks to some questionable Indian food, Sam and I both spent the night taking turns getting sick in the bathroom. Unpleasant to read, even more unpleasant to experience. When I finally fell asleep around 6am, I had no idea if I would be able to even make it to the starting line, let alone finish. But I had to try. I mustered the strength to get myself dressed and down to the hotel lobby to meet my fellow Team World Vision runners. In that moment, I never could have foreseen how a teammate I barely knew would selflessly come to my rescue. When Andy learned of my situation, he made it his mission to see me cross the finish line. He carried my gear, he brought hydration, he made a running plan, and most importantly, he would not leave my side for anything, even when I told him he should. There’s an African proverb that Team World Vision has adopted: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." This was certainly my slowest marathon. I would never choose to relive that race, but I’m somehow grateful that it has become a part of my story. A lesson learned. An experience lived.

(I may not look like I'm dying, but you only have to smile for a few seconds when you see a camera...)

So what’s next? Well I was planning to have a low-key year following London. But another lesson Team World Vision has taught me is that the most amazing things you’ll experience or witness come after stepping through fear and saying ‘yes.’ So when I received an invitation a month after returning from London, what could I say? I’m excited to announce that I will be running the 2024 Tokyo Marathon with Team World Vision in March! (Which means another long winter of training). I’m also excited to get to share the experience with my dad (as a spectator, not a runner). I will share a lot more about this adventure in the weeks and months to come. But first, I have another unexpected journey. I was recently surprised by a last minute invitation to run Hood to Coast, the 200-mile relay in Oregon that has capped my summer for the past 3 years. Of course I said ‘yes,’ so I will be running Hood to Coast in August!

       

While running has become integral to my life, the most important and exciting part of all of this is still getting to have an impact on the lives of those who suffer from waterborne illness, malnutrition, loss of education, and more, due to a lack of clean water. So I invite you to join me as I embark on these next two big events. I have an ambitious goal to raise $30,000 by the time I run Tokyo, and I would love your partnership in making that happen.

I can't tell you fully how much your support means to me. It may seem like a problem too big for you to make any difference. But truthfully lives are being changed. Whole communities - whole countries even - are being changed. And you are a part of that. We Go Farther Together.

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SPONSOR A CHILD

Help me increase my impact by sponsoring a child! Child sponsorship and clean water funding work hand in hand to address the needs of a community. Choose a child to sponsor or allow a child to choose you using the links below. Be sure to let me know if you sponsor a child so that I can celebrate the start of this awesome journey with you!

BE CHOSEN BY A CHILD  OR  SPONSOR A CHILD
*Keep a note of your sponsored child's first name (if available) and your order number to send back to the TWV participant you are supporting.

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World Vision provides more clean water than any nongovernment organization in the world, providing clean water to one new person every 10 seconds. They work to help communities lift themselves out of poverty for good by addressing issues around clean water, hunger, health, education, economic empowerment, and child protection. About World Vision