A BRISBANE campus minister is preparing to run an ultra-marathon to raise funds and help send three young people to World Youth Day in Portugal.
“Running doesn’t come naturally to me but supporting people to where they want to go does,” 23-year-old Darcy Rogers, campus minister at St Columban’s College, Caboolture, said.
The rubber will hit the road for Darcy when he takes part in Brisbane’s “The Guzzler” – a 105km trail run that starts on Mount Cootha on July 22.
The course winds past Brisbane’s hinterland reservoirs and up through challenging hill country.
“There’s about 4,500 metres of elevation. My goal is to finish the race in about 16 hours,” he said.
Mr Rogers hopes to raise $10,500 to help send three young people from Caboolture’s Living Waters Parish to World Youth Day (WYD) in Portugal.
They will join other young pilgrims from across Brisbane Archdiocese on a 14-day journey together through France and Spain visiting holy sites including Lourdes and Fatima, before reaching the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
“The WYD trip will include a tour of young saints, men and women who transformed others lives by authenticity and commitment,” Mr Rogers said.
“The event concludes with millions of Catholics united in faith, boldly looking towards the future.
“The three young people from my parish could not reach the fundraising goal on their own, so I decided to lace up my shoes and dream something big.”
Mr Rogers said he has a passion for church leadership and helping young people experience “that their Church is still thriving”.
Mr Rogers has already completed five marathons and is working hard to reach peak fitness ahead of his 105 km challenge.
He expects “The Guzzler” will push him to his physical limits.
“So I’m asking for your support both in donations and in prayer,” Mr Rogers said.
“I’m asking people to either donate $100 for a kilometre of my race and in doing that, I would lift up their prayer intentions before my big 105-kilometre race; or $10 for 100 metres,” Mr Rogers said.
His GoFundMe site can be found here.
