Marathoner Martin Parnell didn’t start running until he was 47. Parnell had always played a variety of sports, but it wasn’t until his late 40s that he put on his first pair of running shoes. Challenged by his two younger brothers to run in the 2003 Calgary Marathon, Parnell began his impressive running career. His first official race was the Sudbury 5km “Sun Run” in April 2003, and he finished his first marathon in Calgary the following July. Since catching the running bug, Parnell has completed numerous races including marathons, ultra marathons and Ironman events. In 2005, Parnell completed a four-month cycling expedition from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa. During the trip he had the chance to experience the power of sport and its effect on the lives of children across the African continent.