Whilst many people for their 40th birthday organise a party, a special dinner with loved ones or head to the pub, Can Too Foundation CEO, Peter McLean, decided to run a solo marathon in summer and raise money for cancer research.
“I had my heart and mind set on doing the Honolulu Marathon with Can Too to challenge myself and to run in memory of someone close who we had recently lost to cancer,” said Peter.
“So when all overseas travel was cancelled, I simply decided to run the marathon myself and use Can Too Beyond as a vehicle to put my commitment in writing and raise funds for cancer research.
“I am very pleased to have still reached my goals despite the numerous challenges thrown up in 2020.”
Peter started at 4am on Sunday 6 December, to beat the heat as much as possible to complete the 42km in 4 hours and 41 minutes. He ran around his local area of Narellan, Spring Farm and Camden with an average pace of 6min, 40seconds.
Peter was inspired to take on the challenge to finish 2020, a year that we will never forget, by reaching a goal to become a dual marathon runner by the time he turned 40, on 9 December.
Peter raised over $2,865, and there's more funds to come, with his ’40@40’ marathon challenge. With this fundraising he became a $5,000 Hall of Fame inductee.
His local paper the Camden-Narellan Advertiser even reported on his Can Too Beyond efforts. Read more.
Peter is pictured above with Can Too outgoing Chair, Anne Massey who reached her Can Too fundraising goal of $40k this week as well.
Peter would like to put the call out to challenge other Can Tooers to come up with their own unique Can Too Beyond program.
“Can Too programs are all amazing but they don’t always suit everyone’s personal and professional commitments at the time. With a Can Too Beyond program you can design your own goal and raise funds for cancer research”, explained Peter.
“And remember, you don’t have to be an athlete at all to set yourself goals and support cancer research. It’s about using the skills and experience you have gained in life, having some fun and simply setting a goal and telling your friends, family and networks about it.
“I challenge you to come up with an innovative challenge or goal and tell me all about it, maybe it’s a speed reading world record or a world record for longest air guitar solo …..have some fun and make sure to tell me.”
Find out more about Can Too Beyond.
The highlight of his achievement was receiving a special home-made medal from his daughter Georgia, (pictured below).
