Maltese athlete Steve Sammut Nurminen will once again be running 365km across the island of Sicily, with the aim of donating 2,000 meals to Soup Kitchen OFM Valletta.
Sammut Nurminen will start the run this Friday, 28 April in the evening, and will attempt to complete it in 60 hours, finishing on Monday.
Speaking to The Malta Independent, Sammut Nurminen said that he will be attempting the same route he and his team took last year, partnering up with a mental health NGO to raise awareness.
The team for the fundraising campaign, Run4Meals, will run the same distance of 365km, this time “with more confidence and better preparation after last year’s experience,” he said.
Sammut Nurminen said that the biggest challenge in last year’s run was the heatwave experienced in the month of July, which led to the decision to organize the run earlier this time.
His team will catch the evening ferry to Sicily at 6.30pm, and will then drive to Syracuse. The run will start at midnight and last a full 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday, finishing by noon on Monday.
They will be running a total of 365km from one side of the island to another, for two and a half days straight, without sleep.
Speaking about last years’ experience, Sammut Nurminen admitted that the run was tough, feeling disappointment over not reaching set goals.
He said that taking a few months to regain confidence helped with the mental preparation needed to go into this run with a positive mindset.
“My focus has just been on this run. I’m excited, have been training a lot. In the few days before the run, I am getting some rest, doing a little bit of running, nothing too crazy,” Sammut Nurminen said.
Sammut Nurminen ran a distance of 133km for 24 hours straight last December 2022, raising 770 meals for Soup Kitchen Valletta.
The aim this time, is to collect 2,000 meals or more. Sammut Nurminen said that he resonated with Soup Kitchen, who feeds those who are hungry on a daily basis, many of whom are children.
“I cannot imagine these individuals not having a roof over their head, or not having enough money for food,” he said, tying in the mental health aspect on the challenges some individuals face.
Sammut Nurminen said that the awareness for mental health and promoting being active is always part of what he does.
The Soup Kitchen have windows where volunteers can deliver meals to people twice a week. The organisation needs around 100 to 150 meals a day. Sammut Nurminen will be delivering meals himself every Friday, and it is open for volunteers.
People can donate to the cause following this link: https://gogetfunding.com/run4meals-365km-across-sicily/
Or send donations through BOV App +365 99450718 or Revolut +365 99469983.