Himilayan 100-Miles for Children
Tax deductible
As a child I wanted to play little Forest Gump in the acclaimed film, but sadly never made the cut. It was devastating for me. It left a void in my soul and chip on my shoulder, and ultimately led me down an insane path of hardcore running. It started with a little run, just down to the corner of my street. But when I got there, I felt so good I figured I'd just keep running. After a while I ended up at the edge of town. When I got there, I figured - yeah - I'll just keep running.
So I ran.
Everywhere I went, I ran there.
And if I wasn't running, I was walking faster than everyone else.
As I grew older, there wasn't a single style of running I wouldn't try. I dipped my toes into freestyle running, backwards running, underwater running, upside-down running, running while smiling, running while laughing, running with my eyes closed, running while pretending to walk. I even dabbled in parkour for a bit; jumping over bus benches, fire hydrants, and house cats before eventually working my way up to dog houses, picnic tables, sofas, and really anything else that was jump-able. When I started to spike my hair with gel in middle school, I bought some Soap Shoes and did railslides down handrails, slid across parking blocks, storm drains, curbs, and even ran up walls into often unsuccessful backflips to impress girls during school lunch. None of it ever seemed to be enough though.
Eventually, I turned to long-distance running. After all, that was the type of running Forest Gump was famous for in the film. It took hold of me and rooted itself deep down within my soul. Finally! - something to fill the void left by the trauma of missing out on that once coveted role. It was my therapy, my meditation, my zen - it was my everything's-gonna-be-alright guilty pleasure. I began tackling long routes on the asphalt and sandy beaches near my home, before challenging mountains and hills outside my town. I continued to ramp it up each and every run.
Since this all began, I've ran multiple ultra-marathons in various countries with nothing but a small backpack and the shoes on my feet. I had socks too, of course. And shorts and a shirt, sure, or at least most of the time. Listen, I don't want to give the wrong impression, but when it all boils down to it, I'm out there running and it's just me and the trail. I mean, yeah sure, sometimes there will be wildlife out there, maybe flies or mosquitoes. I even saw a buffalo once in Catalina and there was this bear another time in Montana - actually pretty scary. But mostly it's just me and the trail and my thoughts. Okay fine, yes it's true, a lot of the time there are other people running with me too, but you catch my drift.
At the end of this month I’m going toe-to-toe with the ultimate running challenge I've ever faced in my life. I'm traveling to the other side of the world to compete in a 5-day, 100-mile run in the Himalayas. And this time I won't just be running for the Little Forest of my childhood dreams. No, no, no. I've been running for that little guy my whole life. This time I want to run for all the other Little Forests of the world.
Through my sister, Jessica, I’ve been connected to a wonderful charity organization named Orphan Starfish, doing amazing work to empower people around the world. My sister has seen first-hand the incredible work they do with the children she’s helped for many years in Cambodia. Below is a bit about what OSF does:
“Since our beginning in 2001, ORPHANED STARFISH programs address the challenges facing orphans, victims of abuse and at-risk youth by providing them with technology training. OSF funds the construction and operation of vocational training facilities, including funding for furnishings, purchasing required equipment, teacher salaries, job placement services and scholarships for higher education.OSF also provides english language software & classes, a Life-Skills Program, Scholarships & helps with job placement whenever possible.”
I am running to raise $10,000 for the charity so they can continue to make a difference in the lives of victims of abuse and at-risk children, to help support and empower them and to ultimately provide them with opportunities to succeed so they can earn for themselves a better quality of life. Anything you can give helps tremendously. Thank you in advance for your support!
With love,
Johnny
So I ran.
Everywhere I went, I ran there.
And if I wasn't running, I was walking faster than everyone else.
As I grew older, there wasn't a single style of running I wouldn't try. I dipped my toes into freestyle running, backwards running, underwater running, upside-down running, running while smiling, running while laughing, running with my eyes closed, running while pretending to walk. I even dabbled in parkour for a bit; jumping over bus benches, fire hydrants, and house cats before eventually working my way up to dog houses, picnic tables, sofas, and really anything else that was jump-able. When I started to spike my hair with gel in middle school, I bought some Soap Shoes and did railslides down handrails, slid across parking blocks, storm drains, curbs, and even ran up walls into often unsuccessful backflips to impress girls during school lunch. None of it ever seemed to be enough though.
Eventually, I turned to long-distance running. After all, that was the type of running Forest Gump was famous for in the film. It took hold of me and rooted itself deep down within my soul. Finally! - something to fill the void left by the trauma of missing out on that once coveted role. It was my therapy, my meditation, my zen - it was my everything's-gonna-be-alright guilty pleasure. I began tackling long routes on the asphalt and sandy beaches near my home, before challenging mountains and hills outside my town. I continued to ramp it up each and every run.
Since this all began, I've ran multiple ultra-marathons in various countries with nothing but a small backpack and the shoes on my feet. I had socks too, of course. And shorts and a shirt, sure, or at least most of the time. Listen, I don't want to give the wrong impression, but when it all boils down to it, I'm out there running and it's just me and the trail. I mean, yeah sure, sometimes there will be wildlife out there, maybe flies or mosquitoes. I even saw a buffalo once in Catalina and there was this bear another time in Montana - actually pretty scary. But mostly it's just me and the trail and my thoughts. Okay fine, yes it's true, a lot of the time there are other people running with me too, but you catch my drift.
At the end of this month I’m going toe-to-toe with the ultimate running challenge I've ever faced in my life. I'm traveling to the other side of the world to compete in a 5-day, 100-mile run in the Himalayas. And this time I won't just be running for the Little Forest of my childhood dreams. No, no, no. I've been running for that little guy my whole life. This time I want to run for all the other Little Forests of the world.
Through my sister, Jessica, I’ve been connected to a wonderful charity organization named Orphan Starfish, doing amazing work to empower people around the world. My sister has seen first-hand the incredible work they do with the children she’s helped for many years in Cambodia. Below is a bit about what OSF does:
“Since our beginning in 2001, ORPHANED STARFISH programs address the challenges facing orphans, victims of abuse and at-risk youth by providing them with technology training. OSF funds the construction and operation of vocational training facilities, including funding for furnishings, purchasing required equipment, teacher salaries, job placement services and scholarships for higher education.OSF also provides english language software & classes, a Life-Skills Program, Scholarships & helps with job placement whenever possible.”
I am running to raise $10,000 for the charity so they can continue to make a difference in the lives of victims of abuse and at-risk children, to help support and empower them and to ultimately provide them with opportunities to succeed so they can earn for themselves a better quality of life. Anything you can give helps tremendously. Thank you in advance for your support!
With love,
Johnny
Organizer
Johnny Steindorff
Organizer
New York, NY
Orphaned Starfish Foundation Inc
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
