BOZEMAN -- We’ve seen local communities step up to support those on the front lines battling the coronavirus pandemic, but one Bozeman man took things upon himself to help by walking nearly 500 miles to help healthcare workers.
Bozeman resident Jusup Sandoval decided to embark on an incredible journey in April to benefit healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He joined the Calendar Club, a challenge where you run the amount of miles on the corresponding day -- one mile on April 1, 15 miles on April 15, and so on. And he’s doing it with no training.
“The furthest I’ve ever ran in one solid chunk was five miles, previous to this. So this has been a lot,” Sandoval laughed.
The Calendar Club was started by Jesse Itzler and Colin O'Brady, who pledged that for every day a participant of the challenge completes, a meal gets donated to healthcare workers on the front lines. But Sandoval is also doing this to prove something to himself.
“Six years ago I was hit by a snowmobile and I was in a wheelchair and couldn’t walk. And it was literally in April. So I kind of saw this challenge and I was like, ‘This is going to be something that helps me rewrite my story,'” he said. “As the days get longer, they only get tougher. And the one thing I continue to tell myself is, it doesn’t get easier, I only get better.”
By the end of the challenge, Jusup completed 473.3 miles. That’s like running nearly 1,900 laps on a 400-meter track. But the bigger cause is to help those sacrificing so much.
“This is a great way to contribute when you don’t know how to contribute. I think it’s just important that we’re helping each other and also showing these guys that their hard work is worth everything,” Sandoval said.
The worldwide Calendar Club challenge reached its goal, donating 10,000 meals to healthcare workers. For more on Sandoval's complete journey, you can check out his Instagram or YouTube pages where he documents his experience through the Calendar Club challenge.
