Many people think that a 42-kilometre (26-mile) marathon is a long way to run. Cpl. Joshua Martin says he can do a little bit more.
The 31-year-old former St. Albert resident and soldier at CFB Wainwright will be spending all of Friday running 50-km as a way of raising donations and public support for a military support organization.
And then he’ll do the same thing again on Saturday. And on Sunday and Monday too.
“I said to myself, ‘I’ve always been a good long distance runner, I figure well, why not run for charity?’”
He’s running from that base to CFB Edmonton at Namao, a total distance of more than 200-km, to bolster public support for Soldier On. The program of Canadian Forces Personal and Family Support Services maintains a fund to offer financial assistance to injured or ill military personnel. It also provides resources and other opportunities – including wheelchairs, artificial limbs or developed fitness regimens – to help encourage them towards leading a healthy and active lifestyle.
For Martin, this extended marathon started two years ago when he suffered a serious back injury in the middle of physical training. A born and bred army brat, he tried to return to health as soon as possible.
“I was beginning to wonder if my career in the military was going to be over or not.”
He thinks of the military as a big family that always takes care of its members. Still, he was impressed by how well he was treated by its support mechanisms. He made a full recovery and was brought back to active duty within six or seven months.
“The military was really good helping me recover. They got me MRIs, physiotherapy, X-rays, all that stuff. I feel really thankful for that.”
Wanting to pay back the favour, he heard about Soldier On at the end of last year and almost immediately signed up. He started training in January.
“They’re dedicated to helping soldiers who have been injured in the line of duty a lot more serious than me. We’re talking people who’ve been amputees, cancer survivors, paraplegics, quadriplegics … people who need a lot of ongoing assistance.
“They let people know that they’re not alone, that there will be others there to help them when they fall upon those hard times, try to help them recover and get back to as close to as normal life as they can get.”
His goal is to raise $10,000. To make a pledge to Martin, call him at 780-842-1700 or email [email protected]. If you live in the Edmonton area, you can also mail cheque donations to:
1 MP Regiment Edmonton
PO Box 10500
Edmonton, Alta T5J 4J5
Donations can be made in person at the Edmonton Garrison’s Military Police detachment at 180 Churchill Ave. on the base. Tax-deductible receipts will be provided for donations of $10 or more.
To learn more about the organization, visit www.cfpsa.com/en/psp/soldieron.
