On her 30th marathon in as many days, Yana Hempler decided to tack on a few kilometres just to make sure she had enough before crossing the balloon-filled finish line in Saanich, and she still managed to make this last run her fastest of the 30, clocking in at four hours and 18 minutes.
It’s not her personal best by a long shot. She saves that speed for races, but it shows how much energy she’s still got at the end of over 1,265 kilometres, run in all weather, before work. Every. Single. Day.
When she leapt through the finish line just after 10 a.m. on May 30, she’d barely broken a sweat and her breathing was alarmingly normal.
But the real accomplishment is the more than $100,000 she raised for the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, with donations from individuals and businesses — including Tecnet who donated $30,000, a grand per marathon.
RELATED: 30-in-30: Saanich runner ready for her next marathon fundraiser
Her fundraising efforts are a loop of inspiration — last year she did 12 marathons in 12 days in thanks for the hospital’s care of her close friend who is thriving after being treated for a rare blood disorder. Inspired by Hempler, a elderly man named Dennis Hoy donated $25,000 to the foundation not long before he passed away. That act of generosity inspired Hempler, and she decided to do another marathon of marathons in Hoy’s honour. But she bumped it up to 30 because “It’s a nice round number.”
Avery Brohman, the foundation’s executive director was on hand to congratulate and thank Hempler. She said 40 per cent of the equipment at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals are purchased with donor funds, so contributions like this are so necessary. The marathon money will go towards the most critical needs, of which Brohman says there are many.
Hempler’s donations page — www.justgiving.com/fundraising/yana-hempler — will stay open for a few months for more people to donate.
Tomorrow she said she’s looking forward to getting up at a normal time, and going back to full time hours at work.
RELATED: Saanich company donates $10K to runner doing 30 marathons in 30 days for healthcare
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Yana Hempler was inspired to run her first series of back-to-back 12-in-12 marathons last year by her friend Ian Simpson (left), who is thriving after receiving hospital care in 2019. Ian was on hand to celebrate this round of 30 marathons. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
Johnny Atkinson (in blue) and Sean Mitchell (in red) both ran the full marathon with Yana Hempler on May 30. It was Mitchell’s first marathon ever, and thanks to Hempler’s enthusiasm he did 47 kilometres instead of the standard 42.195. Ed Life (right ) president of Tecnet presents a cheque for $30,000 — a grand for every marathon she ran. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
