Some sore feet and cold heads are a small price to pay for turning people’s lives around through the power of sight.
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That’s the attitude of Dubbo optometrist Carina Ng, her husband Kelvin Chan and their friend Henry D’Oliveiro of Black Tambourine Coffee and Eats.
Ms Ng ran the 42.2 kilometre Rhino Ramble Marathon at the Dubbo Stampede last Sunday, while Mr Chan and Mr D’Oliveiri said goodbye to their locks, all to raise in excess of $2500 for global charity Onesight.
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“I was a little bit apprehensive at the start because I’ve never run in rain before but you just had to embrace it and celebrate the rain,” Ms Ng said.
“When you put that much training and commitment into it, you’re not going to back out because you’re afraid of getting wet!”
Having a cause to run for, and donations flooding in, also helped keep Ms Ng motivated on the “mentally challenging” course.
“One in seven people around the world lack access to something that is fundamental which is sight, and helping Onesight to ease that burden is very important,” she said.
“It’s keeps kids in school, giving them opportunities for further education and employment; helping adults continue to work and provide for their families.
“That all comes from the ability to see.”
There was a crowd at Rave Hair Design on Saturday where Nikki Sinclair helped Mr Chan and Mr D’Oliveiri shave their heads, with the bald heads still a great talking point one week on.
Meanwhile Ms Ng was grateful to the many friends who came to cheer on her and her Vixen and Kits social group on their “very long run”.
“We had almost 20 people running together as part of the Mullet Party Marathon,” she said.
“Having company for the training runs and accountability to each other made the experience more enjoyable … we can share the highs and the lows and the burden of running 42.2 kms.
“We also had friends to cheer us on which is the great thing about the Dubbo community; people who brought food, people who chased us around with cowbells and friends who joined in for part of the run.”
That support was especially appreciated after the group had passed the 38km mark, which Ms Ng said was “challenging … knowing you’re almost finished but not quite there yet”.
Still feeling the affects of last weekend’s challenge, Ms Ng is already gearing up for the next; volunteering with Onesight in Vanuatu.
She and her fellow volunteers will provide eye tests to adults and run school clinics.
