Cross Canada runner struggles to inspire masses
Edward "Fast Eddy" Dostaler strides before a gymnasium full of elementary school students. He shouts inspirational messages and has the children yell back to him. Except for the pink "Fast Eddy" T-shirt, he's like a drill sergeant.
Dostaler's stop at Beach Grove elementary school in Delta is a brief break from his second running journey across the country.
He's already run across Metro Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, where he'll catch a ferry to Nanaimo. He spent Wednesday going to schools and running with children to spread his message.
"My approach is direct, if you give me your word I expect it and I want 100 per cent effort," he said after the presentation. "I've given my 100 per cent effort and so I expect it. If I give you my word, you know it's legit — same kind of thing, I want to see that from them."
The 28-year-old Kamloops man set out on his run in March, 2015. As he nears completion, he's claiming to be the first to run coast to coast and back again continuously.
But the road has been riddled with challenges, and the claim of "first" is confused by the fact that he stopped at one point to fly across the country, pick up his car to drive back east, where he continued the run. He then travelled for a period in which he would run 10 km, run 10 km back to his car, drive up to the point he had reached on foot and repeat — it doubled the distance he had to move on foot.
Nevertheless, Dostaler's journey is nearly complete. By the time he reaches Clover Point in Victoria on Saturday, he estimates he will have run 27,000 km in 608 days. The run is intended to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the Alzheimer's Society.
"It's about that random act of kindness. It's about doing it because it's the right thing to do, rather than sitting here going, 'this is what I've done.' I don't need glorification, I'm there strictly for the causes," said Dostaler, explaining that he isn't tracking the amount of money raised — his website links directly to the other organizations, which receive the donations.
As Dostaler assesses the last leg of the run, a note of bitterness and resentment bubbles to the surface. His presentation to the school children included disparaging remarks directed at the media for its lack of attention to his effort, and toward various people who have let him down along the road.
"It's tough. I've ran. I've gone to Horseshoe Bay. Zero people," he said, recounting his experience the day before. "There is a bitterness ... I have made an impact. I just thought it would be bigger. I thought Canadians would grasp it more."
Charity challenges
Faye Wightman, interim executive director for the B.C. Yukon Division of the Canadian Cancer Society, isn't involved in Dostaler's campaign, but she's seen many like it and knows the disappointment some people experience.
"I think ever since Terry Fox did his run to try to run across Canada, there are a lot of different individuals or groups that have decided to show their support by either running or racing or bike riding across Canada," she said.
"In spite of the fact it's for a good cause and that it's great people who are doing it, it just doesn't get the response that people were hoping for."
According to Wightman, the bulk of a campaign effort actually takes place long before the actual event begins. She notes how important getting a network, sponsorship, and media traction is to a campaign's success.
And then there's the reality of intense competition for people's attention and charitable dollars.
"There are 13,000 charities in B.C. and almost all the charities do events one way or another," she said, adding that her organization benefits from about 2,000 individual campaigns like Dostaler's each year, bringing in about a million dollars.
End of the road
Dostaler doesn't know what's next for him after he finishes his run. On Wednesday he was just thinking about the last 150 km he had to go.
He doesn't expect a job to return to, and wouldn't say exactly how he envisioned the transition back to normal life.
He's also kept his expectation low for the reception at the end of the road, Clover Point in Victoria.
"I don't expect a lot of people will be there in Victoria, I am hoping — but I have learned not to go with hope but literally go with results and you need to create those results," he said.
Follow Rafferty Baker on Twitter: @raffertybaker
