Fundraiser Darren Lunz recently took on the fearsome Sani Stagger mountain marathon route to raise vital funds for Power2Inspire.
Darren, who aimed to raise £1000, believes that sport has an unlimited power to bring people together from all walks of life – and wanted to help Power2Inspire to continue to share this message and vision with people across the UK.
With an elevation gain of 1,300 metres, the 42.2km Sani Stagger is the steepest marathon in Southern Africa based between South Africa and Lesotho.
Amazingly, on 12th November, Darren completed the route – his first ever marathon attempt – in a time of just 6 hours, 6 minutes – although he says that it took another hour or so for his legs to start working again!
Darren Lunz, Power2Inspire fundraiser, said:
“Fundraising for Power2Inspire meant finding a challenge to inspire others, and to prove that we are all capable of achieving more than we think we can.
“Being in the Drakensberg, a natural heritage site, was incredible, and the atmosphere at the starting line was electric. On the day, the weather was perfect – although 5 minutes in, my watch gave me the bad news that I was behind compared to my usual performance condition on race day – not a great start!
“But the special people I connected with during the race – all united by slogging up a massive mountain – and remembering that I was doing this for a great cause, pushed me through the continuous climbs and difficult moments.”
Darren added that during the run, he was reminded about the power of sport and its ability to create positive change:
“overcoming challenges gives us important self-belief and unites us – it’s the ultimate victory.”
Alex Laybourne, Chief Executive, Power2Inspire, said:
“What Darren has achieved really is incredible, and we are all humbled that he decided to take on such a monumental challenge to support our charity. A massive thank you to Darren for his support – it’s hard to find the words to say how much we appreciate what he has done.”
John Willis, Founder and Chief Ambassador, Power2Inspire, said:
“Whilst we travel around the UK to help inspire others, it is people like Darren who help keep us inspired to continue to drive forward and share our vision. With his support we can achieve so much more – so from the bottom of our hearts, thank you to Darren – and everyone who fundraises for us.”
Darren commented further:
“it was a pleasure fundraising for Power2Inspire and I look forward to doing more events in the future.”
Help Darren hit his target!
Darren’s fundraising page is still open, so if you are able, please contribute to his £1000 target. By donating any amount, large or small, you will be making the world of difference to Darren, us and our vision of bringing inclusive sport to people in the UK. Please donate now.
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
If you would like to support us in our mission to “embed inclusive sport in the sporting, education and community landscapes” then we would love to hear from you. We are always looking out for people willing to fundraise for Power2Inspire through their own inspiring means. Or, you could volunteer at one of our events, or you could give to the ongoing work of Power2Inspire. Click the button here to find out more.
