Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
may 10
Today was perfect weather-wise: great visibility and -21 degrees. Just
after our afternoon break, I saw the mountains of Ward Hunt Island
and Ellesmere Island 120 kilometres in the distance, and I was filled
with joy. Finally, the end of this section is, literally, in sight.
We covered a worthy 22 kilometres today. I thought a lot about
the last-minute change to my route through the United States, and
I've come to the conclusion that it's a good idea after all. I have a great
team around me, and, either in person or on satellite phone, we're
constantly discussing the expedition and refining the details. We've
all agreed from the start that this run is not really about me, and it's
not even about running a route that has never been attempted before.
The heart and soul of it is our mission to get funds to thousands of
needy people worldwide through the Red Cross. I am serious about
raising a lot of money for these charities. I run; people, hopefully
inspired by what I am doing, donate money to the water projects.
For people to open their wallets, however, they have to know that
I'm running from the top to the bottom of the world, so publicity is
key. I need to reach the maximum number of people possible as I
run—through local and national media coverage, as well as at meet-
ings and events along the route. I can appreciate that the east coast is
definitely the way to go for maximum impact. Although it is out of my
way, the new route also allows me to run through New Orleans—the
city that was so devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and whose
people have benefited from the American Red Cross's disaster relief
program, to which I am donating as part of this run.
I'm desperately sorry that I won't be able to meet the people on the
west coast of the United States who have supported me so staunchly,
but I hope they will understand the reasons behind the decision.
While the route has changed, my resolve hasn't. It was always
going to be tough completing this run, and now it's going to be even
tougher because of the delays we've encountered. But this run has
been my dream for so long: to touch the lives of so many needy people
is all the motivation I need.
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