Lace up for a cause

The Fred Hollows Foundation has brought back its annual online fitness challenge, Fred’s Big Run, to raise money to help restore the sight of the needlessly blind.

This August, participants can join the online fitness challenge and choose to run or walk their preferred distance over the month of August: 50km, 100km or 150km.

Participants are encouraged to log and track their kilometres by downloading the Fred’s Big Run app or through personal fitness platforms like Fitbit or Strava.

Those who would prefer to log their kilometres manually can do so via the Fred’s Big Run website.

Now in its third year, Fred’s Big Run is named after Professor Fred Hollows and has been a huge success over the years, reminding participants of the legacy that Professor Hollows left behind, working to ensure no person is needlessly blind or visually impaired.

It’s a great way to help those in need while increasing your daily steps and gaining physical and mental health benefits.

Need a little extra inspiration to join the challenge?

Author and athlete, Tura Pitt is joining Fred’s Big Run as an ambassador for the second year in a row and says she is proud to be part of the challenge and to be aligning with such an incredible organisation.

“As an avid runner, I hope to inspire people – regardless of their fitness level – to lace up and get their steps in for such a special cause,” she says.

“To give the gift of sight to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access treatment is something I’m very excited about and I hope together we can really make a difference.”

While she’s battled her own health challenges over the years, Ms Pitt points out how easy it is to take our eyesight for granted, making the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation so vital.

“We rarely stop to think about how precious our vision is,” says Ms Pitt.

“I encourage people to take this opportunity to get involved and spread the word.”

With August just a week away, it’s time to lace up, spread the word and get involved – and to get your communities involved!

For more information, visit: fredsbigrun.org

Entry is free and you can register for yourself or as part of a team.

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