Update: Ultramarathoner Volunteer Levi Rizk
Levi is greeted by his wife, daughter, and mother upon crossing the finish line.
A few weeks ago, on our old site, we posted a blog entry from one of HOPE's volunteers, Levi Rizk, who described his hobby of running ultramarathons (long distance races) and how he has been running these races for a few years now. Levi described the very spiritual experience that these races give him, as he is able to accomplish something only by God's grace and power something that seems so unattainable and above his physical limits.
Last August, after listening to a presentation about the HOPE Association and all the work that was being done through it and the needs that were being met in it, Levi decided to dedicate his upcoming race to the organization and its cause. This race would be Levi's hardest and longest race yet, and actually, the longest race in the world. It is called the PT281 and it covers 281 km (175 miles) all over Portugal. Levi was the only American to enter the race.
While Levi expressed his anxiety about such a longer distance than what he was used to, with the thoughts and prayers of so many friends and family supporting him, we are delighted to announce that Levi finished in 2nd place! Levi ran 175 miles over a span of 3 days in just under 62 hours!! How amazing is that?!?! And on top of that, Levi was able to raise money and awareness for HOPE and the cause of meeting people's needs using people's passions.
Levi represents everything that HOPE as an organization believes in and stands for. The idea that one person can accomplish so many amazing things through the power of a God who is bigger than we can imagine. The notion that you can use the talents, gifts, and abilities that God has put inside of you to glorify Him with them and to honor Him in a variety of ways. On behalf of everyone at HOPE, we want to congratulate Levi and his wife Mandy on an amazing accomplishment and thank them so much for their support and kindness in doing this for HOPE.
Check out the video below to see clips of the race, as well as an interview with Levi where he describes HOPE and why he's running this race.