Last week, Lyle Povah was at about the halfway mark of a running odyssey in which he expects to wear out at least three pairs of shoes to raise money for the B.C. Children’s Hospital.
His journey began Sept. 10 in Victoria on a first leg which took him to Campbell River. He’s now well into his second leg along Hwy 16 from Prince Rupert to Prince George. As of Tuesday (Oct. 17) he was in Burns Lake.
Two more legs await — a third one in the Okanagan and a final one through the Lower Mainland timed to end the middle of next month at the hospital.
“It’s 1,500 kilometres and 25 cities,” said Povah inside a motor home in the Terrace Walmart parking lot on a cool morning before starting east again along Hwy 16.
“It’s the equivalent of a half-marathon,” he said of his daily goal of approximately 13 miles. “That’s what it worked out to be when we plotted everything out.”
A motor home provides accommodation and the group often reaches out to communities along the way.
One request, for instance, resulted in an escort by Smithers police from the Smithers Golf and Country Club to the Smithers Public Library.
There, he held a drum circle for the public.
Along the way, Povah has been stopping and holding drumming circles, something that fits in with his profession as a musician, entertainer and yoga instructor.
As of his Terrace stop, he estimated he had raised approximately 30 per cent of his $100,000 goal.
Povah is not alone on what he calls the Drum Run Adventure Tour.
Brother Errol helps with logistics, a young man from Spain is recording the journey on film and a First Nations advisor is along to make contact with Indigenous groups.
Travelling is nothing new for Povah, who spent several years working in China, and neither is running so in that sense, he was well prepared for the daily task. Along with road running, he has also enjoyed trail running.
When not working, Povah entertains at B.C. Children’s Hospital so when he began thinking of something else he could do, the idea of running through B.C. took hold.
“I love kids,” said Povah, adding he sees children and their parents dealing with illness. They’re often worried and scared.
“We formed a society and here we are,” he said of the Rhythm of Life Society and a GoFundMe page that’s been set up.
Based on the tour schedule, Povah plans to reach his goal on Nov. 18. But because that’s a Saturday, he’ll do the final stretch to the hospital grounds on Nov. 21 when more people will be available to witness his finish.