Malcolm Attard, 37, will be putting his physical and mental stamina to the test in tomorrow’s 2012 Comrades Marathon in South Africa while raising money for a steely nun in the heart of the Nairobi slums.
In a bid to “celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity”, Mr Attard, who is based in Nairobi, is hoping to raise money for the same Maltese nun featured in The Times last month.
Sr Michelina Micallef, of the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, wants to build a day centre for 250 destitute children giving them access to primary education.
The centre will also provide them with breakfast or lunch – for many this is the only hot meal of the day – keeping them off the streets where they would eat food scraps discarded by others and drink contaminated water from open sewers.
Many of the children are HIV positive or orphans who have lost their parents to the scourge of AIDS or during land clashes. They live with grandparents who are too old, too poor or too ill to provide proper care themselves.
To this end, Sr Micallef managed to buy a plot of land, thanks to a single Maltese benefactor who donated the full €100,000 needed to cover the purchase price.
However, the nuns need an additional €180,000 to complete the project, which is planned to include six classrooms, a kitchen, a storeroom and a multipurpose hall. Once construction is complete, more funds will be required for furniture such as benches, chairs, white boards, offices, toilets, sinks, stationery, school bags etc.
Mr Attard is hoping to build on the awareness raised by The Times article through the marathon.
Now in its 87th edition, this year’s event will be a “down” run from the capital of Kwazulu-Natal province, Pietermaritzburg, to the coastal city of Durban over a distance of 89 kilometres. Every year, the direction of the race alternates. The “up” run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg is usually two kilometres shorter.
The Comrades marathon was conceived by World War I veteran Vic Clapham to commemorate the South African soldiers killed during the war. It was held for the first time on May 24, 1924 and has been held every year since, except from 1941 to 1945 during World War II.
The first marathon had only attracted 48 runners, although 34 had the heart to tackle the daunting task when the starting shot was fired. Of the 34 starters only 16 managed to complete the race.
Over the years, the marathon gained in popularity and the field averaged about 10,000 runners. The largest entry of 23,565 registrations was received in 2010, which coincided with the Fifa World Cup held in South Africa. More than 18,000 runners have registered for this year’s edition.
The first Maltese runner to ever finish this challenge was running veteran Astrid Fleri Soler who completed the “down” run in 2009.
Last year, Mr Attard took on the challenge of the “up” run and finished the race in nine hours and 11minutes in position 2,405th.
Having trained harder and smarter, his aim this year is to break the nine-hour barrier and get the Bill Rowan medal, in honour of the first Comrades marathon winner who finished in a time of eight hours 59 minutes.
A seasoned runner, Mr Attard has competed in a number of international events, including the unique Lewa Marathon, run across the Lewa Conservancy, host to large African preda-tors including lions, leopards, hyenas and cheetahs.
Any donation towards this worthy cause is welcome. Mr Attard is inviting benefactors to donate €89 in the spirit of the 89 kilometres he will run in the Comrades marathon.
If anyone wishes to donate towards Sr Micallef’s project, they may do so using one of the following Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus bank accounts: APS, 20001071821; HSBC, 071088066051; Bank of Valletta, 40020054669; and Banif, 20093101.