A brochure left at a jewellery firm’s office some months ago showing the charity Inspire’s €200,000 deficit prompted company director Karl Micallef to take action.
After speaking to his friend and Inspire CEO Nathan Farrugia, Mr Micallef decided to help the push to raise funds by putting on his running shoes.
He is one of six men backing Mr Farrugia through a world-first triathlon challenge in June.
Three runners and three swimmers are regularly meeting at the National Pool to build the stamina they will need to join Mr Farrugia during parts of his challenge to run, swim and cycle for 666 kilometres non-stop from Corsica to Sardinia next month.
The Eurosport Ultra Med Challenge, as it has been named, is unique because Mr Farrugia will only stop to rest for 45-minute bursts between June 11 and 18.
The aim of the event – sponsored by Eurosport, Brand Wagon and Power Bar – is to raise funds for Inspire that needs €3 million a year to keep supporting people with disabilities.
My plan is to get half way… then it doesn’t make sense to turn back
Mr Micallef has been practising running as a sport for about four years and this challenge means testing his limits.
He is hoping to join Mr Farrugia for about 40 to 50 kilometres of the 210-kilometre run across Corsica.
Basketball players Peter Perotti and Mark Elroy Ciantar will also be running.
“I always wanted to do voluntary work. Taking part gives me the opportunity to help others while, at the same time, challenging myself through sports,” said Mr Perotti, who started running a couple of years ago and hopes to manage 40 kilometres.
Mr Ciantar has been running and fast walking since he was 25.
“I hope to join Nathan towards the end of the run and to fast walk the last part with him,” he said.
Sammy Attard and Simon Zammit will join Mr Farrugia for the 15-kilometre swim across Bonifacio Straits to Sardinia after the run.
Mr Zammit, who has been swimming for about 20 years, swam 37 kilometres around Gozo several times after setting up the charity Swim Aid three years ago.
He also volunteers as a swimming coach at Inspire and did not think twice when Mr Farrugia asked him to join the challenge.
However Peter Grech – the chief executive of creative digital agency Brand Wagon – is still a toddler in the world of sports. A year ago, he took part in a charity swim and, a few months ago, Mr Farrugia encouraged him to take part. He has been training rigorously since.
“My plan is to get half way… so then it doesn’t make sense to turn back,” he laughed.
To support the challenge send an SMS with the words Nathan’s Challenge to 5061 7359 (€2.33), 5061 8080 (€4.66), 5061 8962 (€6.99) or 5061 9215 (€11.65).