Jim Willett does. He is my running coach, my dear friend, and the most badass but humble person I have ever met.

When he told me he was going to run the Boston Marathon, I asked him if he was going to be like a normal person and fly there. Of course, he said no. Then I asked him if he was going to drive there. No again.

I guess I should have known better because nothing about this guy is normal. He is a cancer survivor turned ultra runner. He has run ultra marathons on 5 continents. For his first 2 marathons, he ran 1100km from Fredericton to Ottawa. He held the record for the 900km Bruce Trail in Ontario. You can read about his journey here and here and watch a video of him here and here. He runs 3-hour marathons dressed in a shirt and tie. He’s going to run a 100 mile race next weekend in Florida – no big deal. And he has a cat named KEVIN. Who names a cat KEVIN??!? Anyway, I digress.

Because qualifying and running Boston isn’t badass enough, he is going to run the Around the Bay 30k in Hamilton on Mar 31st and then continue on over 2 weeks for 875km to Hopkinton, Massachusetts to run the Boston Marathon on April 15th. Who does that??

He will be supported by his friend Don who will tow his stuff on a recumbent bike. I wish I could crew Jim but I’m pretty sure I would slow him down. 😂

And if that’s not inspiring enough, he has chosen to use this epic journey to fundraise for 875 pairs of socks for homeless shelters, one pair for every km he will run.

I never realized that socks are the #1 most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. I listened to a CBC documentary on this topic and it’s so heartbreaking.

This is such a perfect cause for Jim because he loves socks, he loves running, and he has a big heart for people experiencing homelessness. It made me so sad to find out that when he was growing up, he had to rely on social assistance. He has gone through so much and has come such a long way. I love how he has used his life to inspire and give back to others vs being a victim of his circumstances. We can all learn from his mantra: take another step.

If you would like to support this cause or just to find out more about his journey, visit his GoFundMe page.

Thanks for reading!