[0]In March 2007, Team Good for Kids took on the sands of the Sahara in the 22nd edition of the Marathon des Sables [1] . Along with racers from 20 different countries, they ran over expansive plains, ridge lines, plateaus, and of course miles of dunes upto 900 feet high. With all of their food, equipment, and clothing (except water and a tent) on their backs, they also carried the mission and message of Good for Kids to raise support for GFK scholarships and programs. Stay tuned for next year's adventure!
Right:Team GFK with Scholarship Recipients at 2006 Mid-Scholarship Exhibition (Clockwise from top left: Marvin, Geron, Piera, Nicholas, and Lia)
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Left: (From left to Right) Jack, Piera, Lia, and Nicholas head to the start of stage 5 of the Marathon des Sable 2007.
Piera is a Berkeley, California native who can't seem to stay away from the desert environs. While she regularly paddles the deserts of Utah, she has also adventure raced the deserts of Arizona, and recently mountain biked the deserts of Wyoming and New Mexico. While she does not consider herself a runner, she looks forward to experiencing the biggest desert of all on foot.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Lia Farley learned the meaning of athletic challenge at an early age. Roller skating down the steep Steiner St. hills and sprinting down Baker Beach after seagull-stolen lunch bags easily paved the way for her future of adventure racing, distance trail running, and two-time mountain biking across the US. She looks forward to chasing those seagulls, (ok, scorpions) across the Sahara!
Nicholas hails from San Francisco, California where the trails and beaches help him stay in touch with the outdoors and his sanity. Having completed a few expedition length races in Costa Rica, Chile, and Morocco (MDS 2003), he's psyched to explore the Moroccan Sahara again with Lia and Piera. This time Team Good for Kids gives him a good excuse to mix work and pleasure and build support for Good for Kids programs and scholarships.
We got to know Jack at the race. Jack made a generous contribution to Good for Kids and won the right to carry the Blue Runner as part of Team Good for Kids for the last 3 stages of the Marathon des Sables 2007. Thank you Jack for your inspiration and support!