Heroes today can often get lost in the sea of media flooding our inboxes, phones, tablets, computers, and TVs… and all that delivered every day before 9 am. My friend Mike likes to say, “Cute curated images sell more than words nowadays,” and maybe he’s right. But I’ve just met someone, a superman, who proves that actions do speak the loudest.
Let me introduce you to an unsung hero, the Forrest Gump of Africa.

Olly Cohen, wearing a pair of tattered running shoes that look more like dumpsite clogs than speedy Nikes, set off on foot from Tanga, a quaint coastal village in Tanzania far from anywhere on a mission. With nothing but his possessions strapped to his back, he ran inland 300 km to Mount Kilimanjaro, hiked up the mountain, ran down the other side, then continued another 500 km through the Maasai Mara region of Narok, and then made his way up to Eldoret (which is a long, long journey).

His purpose? To raise funds for the Shoe4Africa Juli Anne Perry Children’s Cancer Hospital that we’re building.
Without any fanfare, Olly limped into Eldoret under the cover of night, feet blistered and body covered in dust. Why? Because he cares. He cares that 9 out of 10 children diagnosed with cancer in sub-Saharan Africa are dying. He’s raised almost $10,000, and where is he now? I don’t know! After a couple of days Olly disappeared into the sunset. He kept running—headed towards Congo, where a hospital treats women abused by war crimes.
There are people who talk, and then there are people who stand up and act. Olly, you are a true hero. I don’t know how you wandered into my life but it was an inspiration, and an honor, to meet you. Picture of Olly, left, and his buddy Rocky.
@Ollycohen, Ollyjambo.com, https://lnkd.in/d5WZi3iT