For the past eight years, I have been running with World Vision, a nonprofit humanitarian organization, to bring clean water as well as fullness of life to both children and communities in developing countries around the world. After hearing about an "arm" of World Vision, Team World Vision, during a church service, I was excited to combine my love of running with my desire to serve and bring change to the world. Equally, I was drawn to World Vision because of their commitment to finding sponsors for children in developing communities. Child sponsorship enables children to have access to education (something that, as an elementary and early childhood education major at Penn State Altoona, I am passionate about), sanitation and hygiene programs, nutritious food, healthcare, and more. Once I heard about the incredible work being done through World Vision, along with the opportunity to run with Team World Vision to fundraise for World Vision's clean water projects in developing communities as well as to find sponsors for children, I excitedly signed up to be part of a Team World Vision team at my church to fundraise/run in a half marathon in New Jersey.
After fundraising $3,000, I was invited to run in the New York City Marathon in 2021. Following running in the NYC Marathon, I ran in a thirty-one-mile ultramarathon in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota to find sponsors for children through World Vision. Most recently, this past June, I ran in Comrades, a fifty-four-mile race from Durban, South Africa, to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
During Comrades this past year, I settled into my "corral" at the start of the race with another runner from my team. We chatted a bit, talked to a few of the other runners around us from various parts of the world and enjoyed the "electric" energy and excitement surrounding us. A very kind man from the UK, who I learned attempted to qualify for Comrades five times this year (he ran five marathons in order to get his marathon time down to under five hours, which is a requirement), recorded some of the songs being sung for me since I couldn't see up ahead! One of the most heartwarming songs sung was a traditional South African song called “Shosholoza," which means “prepare the way for the next man.” How beautiful. I love this vision for the race ... to not only move our feet forward but also to make a beautiful way for others, too.
While in South Africa, I also had the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia to visit some of the communities where World Vision is working. Visiting some of the communities where World Vision works was incredibly impactful. It had been a dream of mine for quite some time. When we arrived at a school in Ethiopia, we were greeted with a "sea" of schoolchildren walking down a dirt path, joyfully singing, “Welcome to our community.” It brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face and heart.
During our time at the school, one of the most poignant moments was hearing from one of the girls who heads up the Water Access, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program at the school. We learned that she wanted to lead this program because she was tired of being dirty. How incredible. How incredible that she realized that her life and the life of her community could be different as a result of educating those at her school and those in her community about the importance of washing your hands and clean water use.
Clean water truly allows for community transformation. I saw faucets at the school flowing with clean water. I saw water holes filled with dirty water that are no longer used as a source for human consumption. I saw a medical clinic that has clean water flowing for sanitary birthing conditions and medical care. That is possible, along with so many other wonderful things because of World Vision holding fast to believing that children and communities deserve to have life in abundance.
After seeing the work World Vision has done in Ethiopia and after hearing stories about positive life transformation from community leaders and families in Ethiopia, I am excited to continue to move my feet for World Vision for years to come ... and so I am thrilled that I will be heading back to run in Comrades this coming June. Fifty-four miles back up and down many grueling hills. Why would I do that to my feet and body again? Why take on this grueling race for a second time? Well, quite simply because "more than 800 children under age five die every day from diarrhea caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation, and improper hygiene. But we believe the global water and sanitation crisis can be solved within our lifetimes" (World Vision.com). And it is my hope to help bring that day when no one lacks access to clean water closer to becoming a reality, one step and race at a time.
