200 Miles for Children's Health

I’m training to run the Tahoe 200 in June, a 200-mile [322 km] course with >35,000 ft of cumulative elevation gain circumnavigating the largest alpine lake in North America, Lake Tahoe. This endurance run is a massive undertaking I’ve been preparing for over more than five years, racing challenging 100-mile events with significant elevation, including the Grindstone 100, Superior 100, Black Hills 100, and Javelina 100. I completed these races after a substantial running career, racing marathons, 50K, 50-mile, and 100K events.

I aim to raise enough money to support 650 children to enroll in vaccination programs at a cost of $15.44 per child, setting them up for a much better chance to survive and thrive, with $10,036. I plan to personally match the first round of donations up to at least $1,000, with more matching funds likely available as my campaign progresses.

If you know me well, you know that I’ve benefitted from access to high-quality healthcare, including vaccines. Some of you may even remember my surprise allergic reaction to my initial COVID-19 vaccine and my subsequent brief hospitalization! Many of us have benefitted from this easy, low- to no-cost vaccine access throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of us living in higher-income countries, getting a vaccine is as simple as hopping in a car and walking into a doctor’s office!

Imagine if, when attempting to get a routine vaccine or vaccinating your child for diseases like measles, diphtheria, tetanus, TB, whooping cough, pneumococcal disease, and hepatitis B, you face additional challenges to access. Imagine if, like Marawiya pictured above, you had to carry your child 10 km away to a clinic and back to get them vaccinated without access to easy transportation like a car or the ability to pay a bus fare.

New Incentives help mothers like Marawiya. With the support of cash incentives to make her journey accessible, Marawiya brought her 10-day-old child Mustapha into the clinic to start the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis. Beyond vaccinating against just TB, it only costs New Incentives around $155 to fully vaccinate a child against all seven diseases mentioned above.

Marawiya says, “I want my child to be strong and healthy.” I have the privilege of being strong and healthy enough to participate in a challenging endurance event that is only possible through the circumstances of my life, being raised and educated in a high-income country like the US. With this in mind, I encourage everyone in my networks, but especially my similarly adventurous and athletic friends, to join me in donating to New Incentives.

Throughout the campaign, I look forward to updating you on my training and our collective fundraising efforts. I will participate in the Ozark Foothills 100 in Missouri in early April to help me prepare for Tahoe. Stay tuned!