Enthusiastic runner Joel Melanie gives a peek at his 2023 schedule |15 February 2023

Mr Melanie

‘Making dreams come true’

Having successfully completed his ‘Run for a good cause’ and ‘We all have Dreams’ challenges with flying colours, local enthusiastic runner Joel Melanie is presently dusting off his sneakers, getting ready for his new charity challenge which is set to begin on Sunday February 26.

Mr Melanie started the personal charity project in 2018 with the aim of raising funds for financially-struggling associations towards infrastructure development or other facilities to provide long-term support for Seychellois families and children.

Three individuals along with one organisation are set to benefit from the funds raised during the third charity project this year.

It is worth noting that since last year, Mr Melanie, who previously carried out his projects as a lone wolf, has been performing his charity challenges as a team, under the umbrella of the Runners of Charity.

For the first challenge which will take place on February 26 starting at Beau Vallon, two boys suffering from chronic diseases will benefit from the profit, acquiring a new foldable wheelchair, along with special-need car seat.

Mr Melanie explained that they have chosen Beau Vallon for the first event as the date – last Sunday of February – coincides with the previously-held Eco-healing marathon which used to take place at the same venue and on the same date.

For the second activity, scheduled for April 23, the beneficiary will be the Diabetic Society of Seychelles.

A new addition to the calendar this year will be the National Day half-marathon which will take place on June 25.

According to Mr Melanie, the half-marathon will be turned into an annual national event.

August 27 has been set for the third event on the calendar, where a 12-year-old girl will benefit from a prosthetic leg.

Following successful results last year, the ‘Let us share the spirit of Christmas’ challenge will once again feature on the programme this year and it is scheduled for November 12.

Other than the local events, as a personal challenge, Mr Melanie will be taking part in the Trinidad Alfonso EDP València Half Marathon on October 22, in Valencia, Spain which has become one of the major events in Spain’s autumn season of long-distance races.

Mr Melanie noted that for the outing, even if he will be competing under the umbrella of the ‘Runners of Charity’, he will be personally absorbing all the expenses.

Organisations which benefitted from his initial ‘Run for a Good Cause Project’ project – carried out within three years, starting in 2018- 2021 (raising  a total of R500,300.53) – include the Unique Foundation, the Seychelles Stroke Foundation, the Seychelles Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the National Association for the Disabled, while from the first run of his second challenge, the profit was to assist University of Seychelles student Samirah Sally with a prosthetic arm, while the second event was to raise funds for commemorative plaques to honour former track and field athletes Danny Beauchamp and Arthur Agathine.

The third run of the ‘We all have dreams’ challenge was to contribute towards honouring his late mother Regina Melanie who did not know how to read and write, until in her late 50s when she started to follow literacy programme (progranm alfabetizasyon) and later on taught others how to write in Creole and English and count, before becoming a pioneer in Seychellois Creole literature.

Speaking to Sports NATION, Mr Melanie explained that he decided to bring other people on board for his second challenge, with the aim of bringing more flare to the cause, while giving it more weight and visibility.

Other than Mr Melanie as chairman, Runners of Charity is made up of vice-chairman Alrick Agricole, secretary Estelle Barreau, treasurer Erica Charles and ordinary members Maggy Harray, Carol Palmyre and Brenda Larue.

The primary aim of the group is to promote the spirit of benevolence and contribute towards enhancing lives and community causes locally.

Its goal is to promote that membership through their organisations are fully engaged in national and international development.

As objectives, the Runners for Charity encourages sportsmanship beyond competitive sports, create a platform to bring along long-distance athletes together and to support projects to make a difference and give back to the community.

Anyone from other sporting federations is always welcome to join them during their events, without having to leave their respective sports.

Roland Duval