Sarnia man running 100 miles to support youth mental health

Article content

Sarnia’s Jonathan Valdes is set to run 100 miles in a day this May to raise awareness and funds for mental health and the Sarnia Lambton Youth Wellness Hub (YWHO.)

Article content

Article content

Recommended Videos

Article content

The mail carrier, who ran cross-country and track in high school and returned to running during the pandemic, said he hopes to raise $2,000 for the downtown hub offering mental health support for individuals 12 to 25 and their families.

The roughly 160-kilometre run on two 20-km loops in Sarnia is set to begin on the evening of Friday, May 9, at Refined Fool Sports on London Road and finish there the next evening. Valdes and friends helping him organize the event plan to gather at 6 p.m. May 9, with the run starting at 7.

The public’s invited to come out, cheer and even sign up to run with him for a few kilometres, he said.

For more details, visit jonathansjourney.wixsite.com/home.

“I’m doing this all for mental health, and to end any negative sigma as much as possible,” said Valdes.

Article content

He faced mental health challenges growing up and “there was always a bad, negative stigma,” he said.

“I want to let people know we’re not alone in this battle,” he added. “We have each other and there are resources that are available to us.”

The hub, opened in 2023 in a former bank building in downtown Sarnia, offers integrated youth services, including mental health and addiction programs, peer support, and more.

“We are incredibly grateful for Jonathan’s commitment to supporting the Sarnia Lambton YWHO,” Tim Heath, the hub’s client services manager, said in a  release.

“Community initiatives like this are vital to our ability to provide high-quality services to youth in Sarnia-Lambton,” he said. “Every contribution makes a difference.”

Article content

The run falls on the final weekend of this year’s mental health week, said Andria Appeldoorn, of the Canadian Mental Health Association Lambton-Kent.

“The timing is pretty incredible for us,” she said.

Valdes is already halfway to his $2,000 run fundraising goal, he said. “If I can raise more, that would be extraordinary.”

Valdes returned to running amid the COVID-19 crisis about five years ago, entering a 10-km run with a friend “to bring some positivity into our lives,” he said. “I felt so happy after . . . that I just wanted to do it again.”

He entered a half-marathon, then a 105-km run, then a run in memory of two friends who both died young.

This will be his first 100-mile (160.9-km) run, Valdes said. “It’s a target for runners, especially once you’ve done 100 km.”

Valdes aims to complete the distance in 24 hours or less.

[email protected]

Article content