The “madness” of Portuguese Pedro Queiroz, who risked running a marathon in the middle of Everest, becomes less painful when it is associated with a “humanitarian mission”, in this case, raising funds to feed needy Nepalese children.
“I intend to raise around €5,000 to help pay for 10,000 meals for destitute, hungry children from very poor communities who sometimes even eat rats to satisfy their hunger. It’s shocking,” explained Lusa, an amateur athlete who usually refers to the sport as a humanitarian project.
The 41-year-old Lisbon resident started raising money through social media two weeks ago, which is why he has already begun his mission of feeding his children rice, pasta, fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat.
“Every day after school, children come and know that there is food thanks to the marathon,” congratulates the Portuguese, who in 2015, after the devastating earthquake in Nepal, where he was at the time, created the association Dreams of Kathmandu, “with the aim of supporting children and families in terms of education, housing, health and nutrition.”
An indomitable desire to show solidarity with others is the driving force behind these humanitarian gestures, and this challenge will require great effort to overcome, taking into account, among other things, breathing difficulties, extreme cold and uneven terrain. .
“Any marathon is very difficult, and in the mountains 42 kilometers is even more difficult. The base camp, where the start is located, is at an altitude of 5300 meters, and the finish line is at 3400. Oxygen is rarefied, only 50% pressure at sea level. If it is already difficult to survive at these heights, imagine running … “, he illustrates.
Pedro Queiroz also mentions that the trail is “very paved with many bushes, turns and trees”, requiring “a lot of attention not to twist your leg and fall”, and the fact that athletes have to carry water and food to the competitions, which will begin at minus 15 degrees at 07:00 local time.
“It’s a big physical and mental challenge,” he suggests, hoping to complete the race in about five hours, and the record for a foreigner in this event is nearly 40 years old and was set in 1985 at 04:00. :25 hours.
Pedro Queiroz speaks of his commitment to “humanitarian adventures” which basically translates into “overcoming big problems by helping others”.
“Sport has the dignity that makes us better. At the same time that we are getting healthier, we are also getting closer to the version of the person we really want to be,” concludes the man, who in 2022 became the sixth Portuguese. to reach the summit of Everest in another social project to raise funds for scholarships for young Nepalese.
Mount Everest was first reached exactly 70 years ago, on May 29, 1953, by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, causing this marathon and many other celebrations in the Himalayas.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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