Update: My initial goal has been met. Special shout-out to the donor who donated over 1400 EUR. And all the other donors as well. I've been doing some thinking about who to donate to, and as I will be running across Iceland, I think I want to give back to the country I'm visiting by donating to this Icelandic LGBTQ charity: https://samtokin78.is/ I think this is especially important with large countries trying to exercise influence over the Arctic region, all of which are very hostile toward LGBTQ people. I believe LGBTQ rights are part of European values, even if those values are not shared anymore by large parts of the world. I will donate whatever is left after subtracting the large costs of the trip (the total cost for the trip is definitely going to be less than the original 1600 EUR goal), donations are still open and I will continue to try and raise money for this cause. Receipt of donation will be posted after I come back from Iceland.

Update: WIll be going ahead with this regardless of donations. You can view my logbook as I make preparations here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2184700

I'm a transgender person who used to be employed by Microsoft as a software vulnerability researcher. After moving to the US, and being harassed due to my identity and even threatened with a gun by strangers, I lost my job from the resulting mental breakdown in 2023. I have been unable to find employment ever since and have been struggling with pretty severe ptsd and depression. The hardest part for me was having to leave behind all the friends I had known for years and returning to a country (Belgium) where I didn't have much, both in terms of opportunities and social life.

I used to be a big fan of traveling and the outdoors, but have not been able to go anywhere due to my financial situation. Despite all this, I'm a big fan of running. I even recently signed up for an ultra marathon. It is giving me a way to cope with the trauma. I think without running, I probably wouldn't be here anymore. So I figured it would be worth a shot to setup a GoFundMe, so I can go running abroad. Get out of this place and do something for charity at the same time.

My plan is to run an unsupported solo traverse across the Icelandic interior. The route I had in mind would be about 600km.

The plan is to run at a minimum a marathon a day and sleep in a bivy at night.

I have a lot of experience backpacking near and above the arctic circle in all kinds of conditions so I'm not new to these types of endeavors.

Logistics wise I will need the following:

About 2,000 USD (hopefully less) to buy a 30-40L running vest and a weather proof bivy (all the other gear I already have). And the rest should hopefully cover my flight and travel in Iceland itself.

The remainder will then be donated to a charity. I'm still thinking about it, but it would either be for suicide prevention, or an LGBTQ related charity.

The window that this will be possible will be from June to September.

I really hate this type of fundraising so please don't give me any money unless you can miss it.

If I don't meet 2k at the minimum I will cancel the trip and refund everyone.

If it looks like there is any interest in this, I will improve this listing and add more details.

I'm also hoping to give those who donate access to live-GPS tracking and regular updates while attempting my crossing of the Icelandic interior.

Aside from fund raising, if anyone can help get visibility for this cause, please also reach out.