Union talent completes 48 hour challenge for emotional cause
A coast rugby union talent says he was overcome with emotion after completing an arduous fitness challenge to raise funds for a cause close to his heart.
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A coast rugby union talent was overcome with emotion after completing an arduous fitness challenge to raise funds for a cause close to his heart.
In a special birthday challenge, USC Barbarian Mitch Portors decided to run 48 miles (77.25km) in 48 hours earlier this week to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
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The 48 hour fitness challenge was popularised by US ultrarunner David Goggins.
It was an emotional undertaking, with Portors tackling the fundraiser in honour of his father Chris who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019 and is terminal.
“I’d been thinking of ways I could fundraise since then really,” he said.
“More and more people are starting to do birthday fundraisers on Facebook and stuff but people didn’t seem to be really getting around them as much as I thought they would.
“So, I thought I’d give myself a bit of a challenge and give people a reason to get around the cause and show support.”
Portors, who turned 29 on Thursday, surpassed his goal of $2000 before the run even started, with $2552 raised so far.
Portors ran four miles every four hours across the two days, with Barbarians teammates, friends and his fiancé often joining him in support.
Approaching the finish on Wednesday Portors said the fundraising and cause behind it began to sink in.
“I was tearing up a bit when I got back on that final leg,” he said.
“I was just running a couple 100m from home and kind of realised I’d done it and thought about what it actually meant to me in the moment.
“I was lucky that my fiancé Zoe actually ran the last leg with me because she injured herself a couple months ago and dislocated her knee.
“She strapped on the leg brace and did the last leg with me.”
Father Chris wasn’t able to be there when he finished due to his condition.
“His health isn’t great at the moment and he’s struggling because the cancer has spread a bit further through his body,” he said.
“It’s no longer just in his prostate, so it kind of makes it hard for him to get up and get around.”
He was grateful for all who backed the cause either through donations or by running a leg with him.
Aside from a sore foot and exhaustion, Portors said he felt “surprisingly good” after the challenge.
You can still donate here up until January 31.
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