After setting himself the challenge of walking every road in the Isle of Man to raise money for charity in 2019, father-of-two Jaime Amoedo decided to step this up during the 2020 lockdown and embark on another adventure.
Jaime sadly lost a close family member to the virus, and felt isolated from being unable to meet with friends and colleagues, play team sports or carry out his charity activities. While talking to family, friends and members of the community, he also became increasingly concerned about how the pandemic was affecting everyone’s mental, physical and financial wellbeing.
He decided to launch the ‘1,019km COVID-19 Challenge’, with a mission to engage as many people as possible not just in the Isle of Man, but globally. The fundraiser challenged people to walk, run, swim, row and/or cycle a distance of 1,019km in six months or less. Jaime wanted the challenge to be as inclusive and accessible as possible, which is why:
The challenge provided the opportunity for participants to connect with each other and share their experience through social media channels. Not only did it encourage people to keep physically active and mentally strong, the fundraising efforts supported many who were suffering because of the pandemic.
Jaime is proud to see the initiative attract, for the moment, more than 1,100 participants from 64 countries, in addition to raising in excess of $15,000 for over 10 different charities globally, including the Manx Solidarity Fund.
