OTTAWA, June 3, 2011 - The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), today welcomed Australian marathoner Pat Farmer to Canada during a stop on his Pole to Pole Run.
"On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I am honoured to welcome Pat Farmer to Canada," said Minister of State Gosal. "His epic run from the North to the South Pole to raise money for the International Red Cross serves as an inspiration to us all and shows that actions really do speak louder than words."
The Pole to Pole Run, conducted in five stages, began on April 2 from the Norwegian ice town of Longyearbyen and will end more than 23,000 kilometres later at the South Pole. Over the course of almost one year, Mr. Farmer will run the equivalent of two marathons a day with no days off. His goal for the run is to raise $100 million for the Canadian, Australian, and American Red Cross Societies.
The portions of the proceeds for the Canadian Red Cross will go toward improving mother and child health in developing communities. The Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health was spearheaded by Canada at the G8 summit in June 2010.
Pat Farmer holds multiple world records for endurance running. He served eight years as a Member of Parliament in Australia, with three years as Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Science and Training. He was the winner of the 2000 Achiever of the Year award, presented by Australian Prime Minister John Howard. He has raised millions of dollars for causes during his 20-year running career, including Lifeline, Cancer Council, and Diabetes Australia. Mr. Farmer is a widower and single father of two children.
Dustin van Vugt
Chief of Staff
Office of the Honourable Bal Gosal, P.C., M.P.
Minister of State (Sport)
819-934-1122
dustin.vanvugt@pch.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca
