Man Passes Through Wheeling on a Cross-Country Trek for a Worthy Cause
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West Africa native Hellah Sidibe said he is running more than 3,000 miles, from California to New York, for something much bigger than himself.
Sidibe crossed the historic Stone Bridge in Elm Grove on Thursday morning as part of his transcontinental journey to raise money and awareness for Soles4Souls, a non-profit charity that redistributes unwanted shoes to the millions of people around the world living in poverty without access to any form of footwear.
It's about "using the opportunity to help break the cycle of poverty around the world," said 30-year-old Sidibe, who played for the Seattle Sounders professional soccer organization in Seattle, Washington.
"They have done an amazing job for so long," said Sidibe, while speaking about Soles4Souls. "It related to me so well, because I grew up in West Africa. Shoes are a luxury for people.
"People have multiple (pairs) of shoes even here in America," he continued. "I do myself, but in Mali it's a safety thing. I have cut myself many times. There's metal scraps and things like that on the roads."
"I realized you need a good pair of shoes to even run," he added. "It's sad to me even to this day, in first world countries, not just third world (countries), people don't have shoes to wear and I think it is a basic necessity that we all need. We don't need to have ten pairs of shoes, but one pair can really change your life."
A resident of Rochelle Park, New Jersey, Sidibe said his goal is to run no fewer than 47 miles daily as he creates continued awareness for the charity. He began his journey March 1 in Huntington Beach, California and he plans to keep going at it until he reaches his final destination in New York City.
"It's been crazy," he said. "I've been running every single day. It was a way to find myself and stop making excuses and to keep the promise I made myself."
He said in playing professional soccer -- running was really something he really didn't even enjoy. "But I wanted to do it for something bigger than myself, not for personal glory," he explained.
Sidibe said running across various terrains and through different climates has been very challenging at times. He said despite a few scary instances along the way, it has been an "unbelievable" journey. He said there have been days that have been difficult to reach his daily mileage goal. Yet he continues to push himself through.
He said his girlfriend of nine years, Alexa Torres, who has followed along in an RV, along with his best friend, Garrett Jones, keep him on the correct route, provide meals and keep a close watch over his safety.
"She has been the one holding this together. Because without her, there's no chance we would be here today," he added.
"It's been an unbelievable journey so far. A lot of ups, and I've met so many amazing people and you see a side of America that you never thought existed. So it's been really cool."