Kelowna ultra endurance athlete Savannah Holmes is training for her next big fitness adventure, a 25 hour continuous run to help raise money and awareness for the SA Foundation.
“The [SA Foundation] works with rehabilitating survivors of human trafficking and getting them reintegrated back into society, equipping them with the necessary skills, but also connections and community, to make a successful transition back into society,” said Holmes.
“Most of them missed out on opportunities to attend high school, so they really go back to the basics and bridge that gap between the actual rescue to now, the ability for them to move on with their lives and to move past their trauma.”
Being no stranger to raising money for a good cause, this will be her third fitness fundraiser in the last three years.
“In 2021, I did a 500 kilometre barefoot run here in Kelowna during the heatwave actually. It was tough, I broke my feet, powered through it and after that experience I just realized there’s so much we’re capable of and if you can ignite a community behind a cause a real change can be made," added Holmes.
"In 2022, I cycled 1,000 kilometres for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, so it’s just kind of been a snowball effect. You do it once, it works, it’s awesome, so why not do it again?”
As her training continues to pick up towards the big run, Holmes tells Castanet it’s the mental side of things that can be most challenging.
“Purpose is bigger than the pain and that’s what I kind of live for and focus on. I actually assign a reason for why I’m running to each pain that I might feel. If my left knee starts giving out, I think of that debilitating feeling of not having personal freedom. If my feet start to hurt or they feel cold, again, I have another thought that comes to my mind,” said Holmes.
“When I’m out there and I’m in the thick of it and it’s hard and it’s gruelling, I just put my suffering and perspective to those who I’m running for. I wouldn’t say that it stops the pain, but it adds value to it, and I think when suffering has a purpose it becomes a lot more tolerable.”
The Run for Rescue starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Ben Lee Park in Rutland, with a fundraising goal of $25,000.
Ahead of the 25-hour grind, Holmes is looking for help and is in need of some volunteers and pacers.
For those interested, Holmes can be reached through her Facebook or Instagram page.
