Real-life superhero stopping in Kamloops on run to help kids with cancer

Jon Nabbs has been running more than a marathon a day across Canada to raise money for children fighting cancer and his journey takes him through Kamloops next week.

Nabbs, who's originally from New Zealand, will be running through Kamloops on Tuesday, Feb. 13, dressed as Superman as part of the challenge he's set himself, to run across Canada from St. John's to Vancouver while stopping at hospitals to visit children with cancer to raise their spirits.

He knows the desperate feeling when a member of the family is diagnosed with cancer having lost both his parents within four month.

"I wanted to take that grief and do something constructive, and something that I think would have made them proud," Nabbs says. "Alongside my parents, another huge inspiration for this run was Terry Fox. I found out about him from my college girlfriend back in New Zealand in 2012. She was Canadian and introduced me to the story."

His endeavour began on May 3 and he plans to arrive in Vancouver, his final destination, on Feb. 29, taking about 300 days to run across the whole country. So far, he has run 6,056 kilometres of the 7,524.

He has had some difficulties along the way. Running more than a marathon a day comes with its fair share of injuries and other challenges. His motivation has stayed strong and the support he's received along the way has only pushed him to keep on going.

"I’ve been receiving an overwhelming amount of support in the Canadian towns and cities I’ve run through. People have been so kind and supportive – it’s been beautiful. It’s difficult to run over a marathon per day, but remembering why I’m out here and the people this run is serving really helps to push through the pain on the days I feel like stopping," Nabbs says.

He hopes to collect $100,000 by the end of his endeavour and has so far raised $61,000. The money will be donated to Childhood Cancer Canada and Child Cancer Foundation.

To donate to the cause, and to find out more about Jon Nabbs and his run, visit his website here or find him on social media.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Gabrielle Adams or call (438) 830-1211 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

Gabrielle Adams

As a political scientist interested in social justice issues and current events, I hold topics of
politics, inequalities, community news, arts, and culture close to my heart. I find myself
privileged to be reporting local news, because local journalism is where us citizens go to get
access to information and news that directly impact our livelihoods. That is what I love about
it; I believe journalism to be the most important part for our community to be aware,
informed, and tightly bonded by the knowledge of what is happening around us. I am a fierce
believer in journalism being the fourth power of a democracy because, famously, knowledge
is power, and journalism puts that power in the hands of our community so that we can
continue growing, building bonds between each other and continuously keep learning about
ourselves.

More Articles