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Going the distance for Grace
Volunteer dedicates 50-mile run to cause

“I felt helpless over there,” Keith Kohler said of his visit to the Grace Care Center in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. “This is what I could do here.”

It’s doubtful that Kohler, who visited the orphanage and elder care facility in 2008 with his then-fiancée, Tara Rondy, was “helpless” at Grace. Keith’s compassion for the children and elders guided his efforts both in country and at home while helping Michigan volunteers manage the facility and raise funds.

What he “could do,” by his own admission, was to dedicate his participation in the grueling 50-mile North Country Trail Run, an “Ultra marathon” held Saturday, Sept. 19. Online donations and pledges reached the $3,000 goal to support VeAhavta’s management of Grace and a 30-day visit by volunteer Jim Mitchell.

Placing third in his age group, Keith completed the 50mile run in 9 hours, 5 minutes, finishing a respectable 18th from a field of 87 determined runners.

The achievement is all the more impressive when realizing that, as with his involvement with Grace, distance running is a relatively recent pursuit for Keith. A soccer player in high school, the 37-year-old tried his first marathon just a few years ago, and has competed in four 50-mile events. Setting the bar ever higher, Keith hopes to complete a staggering 100-mile competition in 2010.

Dedicating his long journey to the Grace Care Center seemed a natural fit for Keith, who was inspired by the spirit of the children and elders he met.

“Life kind of catches you off guard,” Keith said. “One thing I really got was, in the face of all their difficulties, they deal with it and weather through it. I couldn’t imagine living in a war zone, but that’s all they’ve ever known.”

For Keith, the hands-on, direct assistance made volunteering with VeAhavta a rewarding experience.

“I’ve seen with my own eyes how far the donations can go,” Keith said. “It really made an impression.”

Those thoughts kept him going as he pounded out mile after grueling mile determined to complete the 50-mile distance while reflecting on the challenges facing his friends in Trincomalee. Success was a matter of persistence, dedication and keeping a goal in mind in spite of the challenges.

“You can’t look too far ahead,” Keith said, “or you might get overwhelmed. Just keep taking small steps, and you’ll get where you need to be.”