SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Playing soccer and table tennis with impoverished children while cycling across Africa five years ago motivated Martin Parnell to help bring sport into the lives of young people in need.

Martin Parnell was in Yellowknife Nov. 25 to 26 as part of his goal to raise $250,000 for the organization Right to Play. - Terrence McEachern/NNSL photo The Goal: raise $250,000 by running 250 marathons Dates: Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2010 Total Distance: 10,550 km Distance a day: 42.2 km (official length of one marathon) Days a week running: 5 Days left: 35 to run 26 marathons Amount raised: $140,560.33 (as of Nov. 26) Total distance run so far: 9,453 km Total steps taken: 11 million (approximately) Pairs of shoes used: 22 Number of blisters: 4

"They don't have much. The clothes they're in, they live in a small house or hut, and if they're lucky, they go to school," said Parnell. "But when they're playing sports, they're just so energized."

This inspired Parnell's involvement with Right to Play International, an organization using sports and physical activity to teach children "critical life skills" such as leadership and team building, he explained. After helping the organization raise $10,000 last year, Parnell, 54, decided he wanted to do something bigger that would combine his interest in Right to Play with his passion for long-distance and endurance activities.

The result was Marathon Quest 250l an ambitious fundraising effort which has Parnell aiming to raise $250,000 by running 250 marathons between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 this year. He runs 42.2 km a day - the length of one official marathon - five days a week. The event is self-financed with $50,000; so the majority of the marathons take place in Calgary or in his hometown of Cochrane, Alta. But Parnell also manages to find time to participate in various other races, which count toward the 250, including one in Victoria last month. Through the race, he qualified for next year's Boston Marathon and reconnected with long-time friend Gerald Landry, who is also an English teacher at St. Patrick High School; Landry convinced Parnell to come to Yellowknife.

Parnell and his wife Sue didn't need much convincing. Parnell is a former resident of Yellowknife, who worked at Con Mine as an engineer between 1979 and 1983.

He and Sue have visited the city several times over the years and were excited to bring the fundraising effort to the North.

"This was going to happen," he said. "We love it here."

With the help of free airfare from WestJet, they arrived Nov. 25 with only 26 marathons and 35 days remaining. So far, he's raised $140,560.33. The first day of the visit he spoke to students at St. Patrick and Sir John Franklin high schools. The next day he braved a -20 C wind chill to run the 224th marathon around the city.

By the end of the 250 marathons, he expects to have visited 60 schools. For Parnell, this is the highlight of the event.

"When I come home from a school, I'm just pumped," he said. And the schools have responded. He estimates about 75 per cent of the money raised so far has come from schools; in one case, a school donated $10,000. But seeking donations isn't why he visits the schools. Rather, it's to convey the message of the Right to Play program.

"The kids get it - kids helping kids - they get it," he said. "It blows me away," said Parnell.

Originally from Devon, England, Parnell began running seven years ago at the age of 47 after he was challenged by his two younger brothers to run a marathon in Calgary. Since then, the engineering consultant has run three triathlons, two in Canada and one in Australia, as well as several ultra marathons (any race more than 42.2 km).

Parnell regularly meets with his doctor once a month for a full medical examination and his physiotherapist and chiropractor once a week. He also meets with a nutritionist once every three months.

He has only suffered one serious injury during the marathon campaign. In February, after his 28th marathon a repetitive muscle strain flared up in his left leg. The two-and-a-half weeks he needed to recuperate was the lowest point of the year, said Parnell and the thought of a serious injury is now always weighing on his mind. Parnell has 12 spare days built into his year to allow for such things as injuries.

"If I go out there now, and I slip and smash my leg - I'm done. I can be as careful as I want, but if I step on ice and fall, that could be it."

But he laughs at the thought of a close call during the ceremonial kick-off for the CFL playoff game between the Calgary Stampeders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders Nov. 21.

"The funny thing was I kicked the stupid ball and got injured - I pulled a muscle," he said with a laugh. "I had to take the next day off, it was awful."

Anyone interested in following Parnell's progress or to donate to the cause can visit his website at marathonquest250.com.

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