Australian ultra marathon runner and former MP Pat Farmer has started a 3,000-kilometre run through Vietnam for charity purposes.
Several people have joined Pat Farmers during his 3,000-kilometre journey through Vietnam
His itinerary “Pole to Pole: Vietnam” is expected to raise USD275,000 in funds for the Red Cross Society for projects to bring safe water to the poor in Vietnam, according to the West Australian.
On average, Farmer will run nearly 80 kilometres per day during his 40-day journey lasting from December 9 until January 20, 2013.
Having directly witnessed the deaths of many children as a result of unclean water in India, Nepal, Egypt, East Timor and Peru, Farmer adopted a new purpose in his life.
Despite being a Member of the Australian House of Representatives and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Science and Training, he abandoned his political career to run marathons to raise funds for water projects.
He wanted to do something practical to help and to inspire people’s awareness of poverty in and raise funds to build clean water facilities and sanitation systems for the poorest communities in the world.
He decided to make use of his marathon running ability to realise that ideal. By running from the North Pole to the South Pole, the 50-year-old former MP wants to reiterate and prevent the unfortunate deaths of millions of people annually due to the lack of clean water.
In January, the former federal Liberal MP completed a gruelling 21,000 kilometre charity run from the North to the South Pole, facing armed gunmen in Central America, blizzards in Antarctica and near death in the deserts of Peru.
A life of devotion
Pat Farmer and Mai Huy practicing for their long itinerary
Pat Farmer’s bravery and devotion convinced Vietnamese student Mai Nguyen Dinh Huy to leave his job and join the former MP on the marathon journey across Vietnam.
Mai Huy said, “Each person has one life to live, why don’t you do something you are interested in, in order not to feel regretful when you die.”
Anyone who wants to join Pat Farmer on parts of the trip can register at poletopolevietnam@gmail.com.
