“Superman” Jon Nabbs makes stop in Merritt during cross-country run for Child Cancer
Jon Nabbs speaks to Diamondvale Elementary Students and Teachers | Zach Amin Photography
MERRITT — He’s a man on a mission.
You may have seen a jogger dressed in a Superman outfit running across the Trans Canada or Coquihalla.
Taking inspiration from Canadian legend Terry Fox, Jon is running across Canada to raise funds for Child Cancer, he has already raised $ 77,000 with his original goal being $ 60,000.
Jon is now hoping for $ 100,000 in funds by the time his run ends in Victoria, B.C. He is in the final stretch of his run to Vancouver, having started the trek in Newfoundland in 2023 in the earlier stages of summer.
He was hoping to be done four to five months ago but has pushed through the harsh winter weather regardless.
It’s a cause that means a lot to him after his parents both passed away from Cancer in his hometown of New Zealand.
He shared his experiences with Diamondvale Elementary in Merritt before heading to Vancouver.
He runs in many conditions as long as they don’t exceed colder than Minus 30 weather. While around the Calgary area he faced minus 53 temperatures, which is a lot colder than what he’s dealt with in New Zealand.
He grew up just 30 km away from the area where they filmed the Hobbit, particularly the parts of the movie in “The Shire” where the Hobbits lived.
He has faced many challenges along the way but that hasn’t stopped him from reaching his goal or stopping all together.
“I’ve had eight different forms of tendinitis, weather has obviously been an issue. It hit Minus 54 by Calgary around New Years. Finding safe places to camp with some cover is always an issue. I have no support team. I’m doing this all on my own with nothing but my stroller. As the weather has gotten colder, trying to stay safe and warm is a huge challenge.”
He’s seen moose run across his path, even bears. At one point he had a bear rip open his belongings and damage everything while he was sleeping in a nearby shed. He normally sleeps in his tent with a sleeping bag that can handle as bad as Minus 30 weather.
“By Lake Superior I had a bear tear up everything, almost destroying all my footage of the trek along the way. Thankfully it didn’t bite through the motherboard. But everything else was gone.”
He usually sleeps 6-7 hours a night but definitely misses sleeping in his own bed. Despite all the challenges and injuries along the way he says the toughest things for him along the way has been loneliness, which he deals with by sometimes calling his friends back in New Zealand when the time difference works out in his favor.
“The main thing that keeps me going is knowing what this run is for, I’m trying to make the lives of people suffering from Cancer easier. It keeps me going when I want to stop.”
“Generosity is one of the coolest things that I have dealt with. This is an outstanding society here in Canada. The hospitality and generosity is endless here. The joy and the energy from the people that have donated or given me a place to sleep has been amazing.”
“I feel more people should go out and go for long walks. I spent most of the last three years traveling the world on multi-month adventures like this one in Canada. There are so many benefits from walking and spending time in nature. Hiking multiple nights in the woods with your phone at home. Your mind just goes still it’s beautiful.”
“To everyone who is curious about hiking and letting their mind and their world view slow down a little bit I encourage them to try it.”
Jon was cheered out of Diamondvale Elementary by students, staff, and teachers as he continued on his journey towards the Coquihalla Highway.
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