Dad’s illness inspires teen to run 150km
16-year-old fundraising for Cancer Society
I wanted to take on a challenge that would be uncomfortable and difficult so I can somewhat understand what people with cancer have to go through every day.
Sixteen-year-old Jonah Seeds is undertaking a task most people his age would never even think to do. Currently in his last year of school and attending Whanganui Collegiate, instead of focusing on NCEA and assessments Jonah is preparing to run 150km from Palmerston North to Wellington.
But this is no fun run. Inspired by the involvement of his former school, Hutt International Boys’ School, in the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Jonah is running to raise funds for the Cancer Society after his dad was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer touches the lives of almost every New Zealander and Jonah is no exception.
Last year his fit and healthy dad, his idol and hero, dropped the bombshell that he was unwell, precancerous cells had been found in his bowel.
He had surgery three days before Christmas and was later told the biopsy confirmed cancer.
Jonah said, “Cancer has a huge impact on so many families including my own.
“Fundraising for the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life has been a firm fixture in the calendar throughout my school life.
“Last year, to push myself and my fundraising efforts, I set the challenge to run 100 laps of the Relay for Life
Jonah Seeds
course. I ran 101 laps, equal to 45km. A dizzying challenge nonetheless.
“This year I aim to beat that by 100km and run 150km from Palmerston North to Wellington over two days.
“I wanted to take on a challenge that would be uncomfortable and difficult so I can somewhat understand what people with cancer have to go through every day.”
In the lead up to the run, Jonah has been pounding the streets of Whanganui, visited The Square in Palmerston North which will be his starting point, and has already raised
over $4000 for the Cancer Society.
The run will begin at 6am on Saturday, April 9 in The Square in Palmy and, all going well, will finish on Sunday outside the cenotaph in Wellington.
Jonah will run 94km on Saturday, reaching O¯ taki around 1.30pm, coming down through Ka¯piti and making it to Paraparaumu where he will stay for the night around 4pm.
On Sunday he will again head off at 6am, going through Queen Elizabeth Park, along State Highway 59, and into Wellington.
A support crew will be following
Jonah on bikes and a few will join him on foot through various sections of the journey.
“My current school Whanganui Collegiate have done an awesome effort supporting me and helping to organise the fundraiser — especially my headmaster Wayne Brown and my housemaster Selwyn Hodges.”
Supporters are welcome to join if they see him on his way.
The Cancer Society’s Wellington fundraising and communications manager, John Henton, said, “Every day 71 New Zealanders will hear the words ‘you have cancer’, and it’s not just the individuals that are impacted — a diagnosis can shatter entire communities.
“We are so grateful to have people like Jonah raising awareness and funds to ensure that people with cancer and their family/wha¯ nau have the support they need.”
Every dollar raised by Jonah will go towards providing cancer care in the community, education and awareness programmes, and lifesaving cancer research.
This is Jonah’s ‘why’.
“I am doing this for my dad, my grandparents, and for all the other families in Aotearoa who are affected by cancer.
“I have my why and I encourage other people to get out there and find theirs,” Jonah said.
The Cancer Society has helped Jonah organise the fundraiser and he is also being supported by Asics New Zealand, which is providing him with running gear.
If you would like to help Jonah reach his goal, you can do so at youcanforcancer.org.nz/ jonahs150kmforcancer.