250k’s in 5 days? Easy!

Caption: Shawn Harmon doing the Globi March

We admired Shawn’s passion for WaterAid. He’s asking friends and family from all over the world to sponsor his run, so and asked him to write a few words about what drives him to support us!

“The first question everyone seems to ask is, "Why would you consciously choose to put yourself through months of training then subject yourself to a 250km race...through the desert?"

I knew immediately that I wanted to raise money for a charity...I began to ponder what I think matters in the world, and how I could help have the most impact per dollar raised.

To me, WaterAid captures both of those ideals in ways unmatched by other organizations. By chance I had learned about WaterAid through another friend (Borut Grgic) who raised money via the Austin Marathon in February 09. His email really resonated with me.

WaterAid's philosophy and purpose could not be more fundamental to the human condition, and the numbers plainly show how great an impact WaterAid has had in executing its goals. Providing clean drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene education is not just one-off assistance. It's not throwing money at a problem as, unfortunately, many charities do. And it does not have the uncertainty inherent in searching for a cure for a disease or solution to a problem. It is an obvious and effective way to tangibly and immediately change the world for the better in a way that becomes self-sustaining.

Ultimately this is unifying in the human experience, a common cause. How could we as a population not place priority on providing humans with clean water?

I grew up in Michigan in the US before attending Stanford University where I majored in Public Policy. Upon graduation I moved to Europe, where I worked in finance in Lausanne, Switzerland then London. I moved to Sydney 2.5 years ago, and am still in the financial services industry.

I have friends and family all over the world, so have set up fundraising pages for people from Australia, US and the UK to support me.

I've never called myself a 'runner', and still don't. Running has always been just a form of exercise. In the Gobi March I've upped my limits, and I see it as a way to raise money for a good cause and to challenge myself. If nothing else, I'll have a good story or two coming out of this. Will I do more events like this? Possibly. I guess I'll see how I feel after the race!”

Sponsor Shawn!

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