Former Australian MP and ultra-long distance runner Pat Farmer is in India. And he has taken up a rather daunting task: to run the length of India from the southernmost tip of Kanyakumari to the northernmost Kashmir in just 60 days.
This means a total of 4,600 km, across 10 states, with a daily average of 76 km a day!
The 53-year-old commenced his ‘Spirit of India’ journey on January 26 – a significant date for both countries which marks Australia Day and India’s Republic Day.
Before he set out, he told mediapersons that his aim is to raise funds for girls’ education in India, besides promoting goodwill, friendship and trade between the two nations.
He has tied up with Mahindra’s Nanhi Kali initiative for the purpose, and hopes to raise Rs48 lakh (Australian dollar 1,00,000) through the run.
Young girls grow up to be the mothers of the next generation,” he said.
Such missions aren’t new for Farmer. In 2011-12, he ran from the North to the South Pole and raised more than A$100,000 for Red Cross International’s clean water programs. In 2014, he ran more than 1300 km in two weeks through the Middle East to raise money and awareness for peace initiatives in the region.
Watch the launch of the run here:
It’s been a week since Pat started, and here’s a look at his journey so far:
More power to you, Pat Farmer.
All images are sourced from Twitter