When Willem Sagriff set out to run 100 kilometres on Oct. 3 to support the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), he hoped to raise $6,000 for the team caring for some of the community’s tiniest and most vulnerable patients.
On Nov. 9, he presented a cheque to KHSC for $20,730, more than three times his original fundraising goal. But the impact of the day extended far beyond the dollars raised.
The 27-year-old Kingston resident completed the run on Oct. 3 at Point Municipal Park in Sydenham, spending nearly 16 hours on the track to reach his goal of running 100 kilometres in one day. He began at 5 a.m. and crossed it shortly before 9 p.m., supported every step of the way by the people who came out to cheer him on.
“The lead-up to it and everything has been fantastic,” Willem said. “The fundraising has been great, and the support of University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) has been phenomenal as well.”
For Willem, the motivation behind the challenge was deeply personal.
He was inspired to fundraise after he and his wife welcomed their daughter in June 2025. Their hospital room was just past the NICU, giving him time to reflect on how fortunate they were that their baby's birth went without complication.
That experience motivated him to give back to the unit and the health-care teams who care for some of the community’s tiniest and most vulnerable patients.
His 100-kilometre run became a way to turn that gratitude into action, but the run was not without its challenges.
Willem began experiencing nausea within the first few kilometres. After taking Gravol, he was eventually able to take in more food and water comfortably. Later, between the 50- and 60-kilometre marks, he began experiencing significant pain in his left knee.
Still, he kept going.
At the 93-kilometre mark, he reached a point where he questioned whether he could finish.
“I said, ‘Well, I think I found my limit, and it sucks because I'm so close,’” Willem recalled, describing a conversation with a friend running alongside him.
Her response gave him the encouragement he needed.
“She was like, ‘No, you haven't. You haven't found your limit. You're going to keep going. You're going to finish this.’”
With every kilometre, he was reminded that he wasn't taking on the challenge alone. Throughout the day, he estimates that someone accompanied him around the track for about 90 per cent of the run, with friends and family taking turns running alongside him and offering encouragement.
He was especially moved by the number of families who came out to support him whose babies had previously received care in the NICU. Seeing those families show up to support the cause brought the reason behind his long day into sharper focus.
“Meeting these families really allowed me to connect the fundraiser with the run in my mind,” he said. It allowed him to put real faces to the stories of fear and vulnerability that many associate with the NICU and see families who’ve been able to celebrate countless milestones for years thanks to the few days, weeks or months they spent in the unit.
Despite the physical toll, Willem said he was surprised by how quickly he recovered, even heading out for another run two days later.
Looking back, he described the experience as a great day, made possible by the generosity, encouragement and connections formed along the way.
“I just want to thank everybody who's shown support for my fundraising run. The support has been great,” he said.
If you’re interested in embarking on your own health-care fundraiser, UHKF is here to support you. Connect with UHKF today online or at 613-549-5452.