Will Rogers, the Cloverdale paramedic who's raising money and awareness for Servants Anonymous, has called off his 500-km run.
Rogers, who's already completed two long-distance endurance feats this summer as part of his 2012 Million Dollar Journey, pulled a hamstring.
He figures the injury will keep him from lacing up his running shoes for at least six weeks to two months, but remains optimistic he will still be able to enter this year's Ironman Canada competition.
The setback didn't alter his 440-km bike ride from Penticton to Victoria over the Canada Day weekend. "The two-day ride was fifty percent rain, fifty percent headwinds, fifty percent sunshine," he said in a short note sent to supporters. "No bears and no fats. And only one car fire."
He was also able to complete his June 24 swim in about 8.5 hours – his fastest of four attempts.
At this point, Rogers is not planning to run on behalf of SAS next summer, but is keen to try the swim again "because it went so well."
This time he swam from Tsawwassen to Galiano's Sturdies' Bay marina instead of the other direction, as he'd done on his prior three swims.
This year there was a party and a band celebrating his arrival, and generated a great deal of interest in his plan to raise an ongoing source of operational funds for the society.
He's hoping 10,000 people will pledge to donate $20 a month to create ongoing funding for SAS, an organization that helps exploited women and youth leave the sex trade industry.
"It should be possible to get 10,000 people signed up and 100 businesses signed up," he said.
For more information, visit www.willrogers.ca.