200 marathons across Canada

Times Reporter    

 

Jamie McDonald is doing the unthinkable to fundraise for children’s hospitals in Canada and in his home nation of the United Kingdom. McDonald dipped his hand in the Atlantic, left St. John’s, Newfoundland on March 9, with a goal of running across the country to Vancouver and raising $100,000. He passed through Strathmore on Dec. 18 on route during his 8,000 km journey.

“It is just me. I’ve got absolutely no support crew. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube – I’m doing it. I’m surviving off about five hours of sleep a night,” McDonald said.

“My foot is starting to misshape. It looks like permanent damage has taken place. I’m just trying to show everyone in the world that anything is possible.”

McDonald has developed chronic tendonitis in the last two months from running roughly a marathon a day, but completes strength training and yoga to assist with his journey. He will become the first person ever to run across the country, unassisted.

“It’s about the equivalent of 200 marathons,” he said. “I didn’t plan anything at the start, but what I did research was Terry Fox. I took a very similar route to him, mainly on the highway, but the highway does drive me a little bit insane from time to time.”

At age nine, McDonald was diagnosed with syringomyelia, and spent much time at children’s hospitals himself.

“The symptoms can be anything on any individual, but what I had as a kid were, sometimes I wouldn’t be able to move my legs, immune deficiency – I was just really, really sick,” he said.

McDonald is in remission now, and says playing sports and keeping active helped with his recovery.

“I’m really lucky that my symptoms disappeared, because if they would have continued, there was a very good chance I would lose my mobility or my life,” he said.

His plan is to donate to each province or area’s children hospital that he runs through. So far, he’s totaled $70,455.

“You Canadians know how to fundraise,” McDonald said. “I almost want the fundraising for this just to be the beginning, even if I make it, I still want the fundraising to carry on.”

McDonald runs with a 30 kg baby stroller, in which he keeps his food, tent, sleeping bag and tracker so everyone can follow along on his journey – and even run beside him.

“It’s pretty cool because now people can just find me at any time, just to say hi or hand me a coffee,” he said. “What I like about this trip is that I came out here on a one-track mind to fundraise for children’s hospitals because that’s what motivates me. Anyone can follow the journey, and enjoy it, and be inspired, and take what they want from it.”

Up until Winnipeg, McDonald was camping out on his own, but now stays with friendly people along the way. One Albertan even went so far as to volunteer a trailer for McDonald to sleep in on the side of the road.

“The Canadians are just unbelievable at helping somebody through hardship,” McDonald said.

McDonald is hoping that he completes his achievement by early January.

“I would say as soon as possible, really. My biggest fear is going over the Rocky Mountains,” he said. “It’s quite a bit dangerous. Every day that goes by now is just going to get worse. The risk of me making it is going to slim.”

This isn’t the first record McDonald is attempting to crack. In 2012, he cycled roughly 22,500 km from Thailand to England.

“It was 25 different countries; I got caught in a big war zone on the Afghanistan border – I got shot at. I also went through Iran and Iraq, where people were just so friendly,” he said.

Once he returned safely to England, McDonald broke the world record for most time spent consecutively on a stationary bike.

“I spent 268 hours non-stop. I ate, I drank on the bike, I even peed on the bike,” he said.

This event is special for McDonald however, as he plans to make a documentary of everything he has experienced across Canada.

“The people I meet along the way, the people that come out, they’re touched by what I’m doing,” McDonald said. “I hope that this just creates a big wave of people trying to do good in the world.”

Strathmore native Stacey Schuett is taking donations for McDonald to go towards the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, by setting up a donation jar in her place of business, Noosa Beach. The donation will be made in memory Schuett’s daughter Tatum, who died at the Alberta Children’s Hospital 11 years ago. Not even a month old, Tatum passed due to kidney failure.

“They were amazing – the staff, it’s just an amazing place,” Schuett said of the Alberta Children’s Hospital. “As soon as the Children’s Hospital was involved, I was all over it.” 

Schuett is also holding a raffle for a gift basket; valued at $1,000, it’s filled with a facial, gel nails, and a Noosa Beach gift certificate. The Bronzing Bar, Little Shop of Hairs, and the Strathmore Veterinary Clinic made donations to the basket as well. Because of her daughter, and the supportive staff at the Children’s Hospital, Schuett is strongly pushing for donations to Jamie’s cause.

“What he’s doing is unreal. I can barely run up my stairs, let alone across the country. It’s hard to believe that someone can do that,” Schuett said. “I just can’t wrap my head around it.”

Donations can also be made at http://www.jamiemcdonald.org/donationtotals/