A Very Personal Account Of Adventure Funding Pains

BAREFOOT runner Aleks Kashefi has sent us this very personal account of the adventure funding pains that have been eased by his PledgeSports.org campaign backers.

The 37-year-old teacher wants to raise over £50,000 for Stroke Association, UK Mountain Rescue and Thomas Thyer Foundation by running the 4,750m E1 Euro Trail from Norway to Sicily, barefoot and unsupported.

But cannot raise a penny of that target if he cannot gather the adventure funding necessary to make it to the start line in August this year. This is how he’s feeling:

FOUR incarnations of this post have faltered. Maybe there is something telling me that I need to just type and not think about it.

I have worries about the E1 Euro Trail trip, and as opposed to focusing on getting the distance covered each day, worrying about the lack of detailed mapping in European countries, finding sources of food for each day, or having the equipment I need to help make the trip safe – and to a point comfortable -, I am focused on getting the adventure funding needed to provide food on the trip!

So, in the last two weeks of training around the Lake District, I have in been hiding my head in the fells, avoiding the problem and generally focusing on the part of the planning and preparation that I have full control over: the fitness to pull this insane, 4,750m running route off and become the first person to run from the top to the bottom of Europe.

There will be equipment needed, and once I start to run I won’t be able to stop and negotiate with prospective sponsors.

People offer support, but then the support seems to be lost in non-committal promises. It seems that no one wants to believe in a person’s ability to pull off something extraordinary, unless they are of extraordinary stock.

I guess I will have to tighten my belt and live more frugally than I currently do and save even more money for the trip.

There are now just 85 days left to raise £3,000 worth of adventure funding. Most of which will be put in the budget food (£15 per day max), which is going to be the most important aspect of the budget since covering 30+ miles per day is going to need to be fuelled by energy from somewhere!

I close by saying a heartfelt thanks to all those who have joined in with this adventure by supporting via the PledgeSports page.

I really do appreciate the support you have shown. I promise to make the E1 Euro Trail run a success, something to be proud of, and a journey that will hopefully inspire others to take on challenges.

To support Aleks Charity E1 Euro Trail Run visit his PledgeSports.org adventure funding page. Got your own big challenge coming up? Find out how to start your own funding page, for free, today. Just Click Here.