When Willem Sagriff steps on the Point Municipal Park track in Sydenham on October 3, there will be no starting gun, no competitors and no medal waiting at the finish line. Instead, what will drive him forward, lap after lap, is something far more powerful.
The 27-year-old Kingstonian will be focused on one goal: running 100 kilometres to raise funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), a place that forever changed the way he sees gratitude, vulnerability and resilience.
Willem was inspired to help after he and his wife welcomed their daughter in June 2025.
“Our room was just past the NICU, and I had a lot of time to sit there and think about how lucky we were that our baby was born healthy,” Willem recalled.
This planted the seed for what would become an extraordinary physical and mental challenge.
An avid runner, Willem began setting ambitious running goals several years ago after what he describes as a “wake-up call” run with his then girlfriend (now wife). They went for a short two-kilometre run and Willem was gasping for air while she was completely fine.
The realization hit hard. The fitness that he took for granted in high school was gone.
“It really bugged me, and it pushed me to get serious about my fitness.”
Since then, Willem has completed many long runs and currently trains five days a week with added strength training sessions. Last year, he tested his limits by attempting to run the 104-kilometre Cataraqui Trail, but his body gave out at 75 kilometres.
“Running 100 kilometres has always been a goal in my head,” he said. “I know exactly what went wrong (on the Cataraqui Trail) and how to correct it. The strength training has made a huge difference, both physically and mentally. I’m very confident in my fitness abilities for October.”
Rather than tackling a remote trail again, Willem chose a track-based run to simplify logistics and encourage community involvement.
“Having it in one localized spot means people can come out, support, or even run a few laps with me,” he said. “It solves a lot of the issues around food, water and accessibility.”
Willem expects his fundraising run to take between 11 and 12 hours. His goal is to raise $6,000 for the NICU.
“This is about supporting the tiniest members of our community,” Willem shared, “and the teams that care for them.”
To support Willem’s fundraiser, contact Gary Melnikov (UHKF Associate, Community Relations) at Gary.Melnikov@uhkf.ca or 613-549-5452 ext. 5915.