16 June 2023
On 4 June, pain coach, physiotherapist and humanitarian Richmond Stace ran the length of the Gaza wall (65km) in 25-degree heat to show his support for Palestinians.
“Weather can never be a deal breaker”.
Since visiting Gaza last year, Richmond has continued to fundraise for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in extraordinary ways. We spoke to him about why the work we do for Palestinians’ health and dignity is so important to him, and how he motivates himself.
Why is the Palestinian cause close to your heart?
'I was asked to go to Gaza last September. Prior to that, I was aware of what was going on, but nowhere near as much as now. To be honest, I would say I was pretty ignorant of the realities. When the opportunity came up, with my purpose being helping people to understand pain, I knew I had to take it. So, I went out and met the people, met the team and saw the place. Once you do that, you start to gain an understanding of the situation. Since then, I have continued reading about it, engaging with it, understanding it a lot better and it’s become a cause close to my heart.'
How did you first get in touch with MAP, and what made you want to know more?
'I was contacted by a MAP team member via social media, and she asked me if I knew anyone who would like to go out to Gaza. My first response was, ‘I’d quite like to do that’. As what I do is help society change the way it thinks about chronic pain, I do look for different ways to be able to do that. Once I said I’d be interested, this was met positively and from then, preparation began before going out to meet the team.
I decided I needed to get to grips with the history and present of the realities of the situation and was immediately extremely drawn in. MAP’s team in Gaza are a fantastic group of people and definitely made me want to continue my involvement. I continued to be involved in ways I knew I could raise awareness, through sponsored runs. The two passions of helping people understand pain and running feed off each other, and on the day, it makes you think about and understand why you’re doing it. You’re serving something greater than you and I think that’s an important principle in life. Everyone gains.'
What were the biggest realisations you had during your time in Gaza and what do you think other people need to understand more about?
'Foremost, I have to be a humanitarian. I have had people question my support in the past and while I’ve been curious about their position, I know I have to be skilful. The world definitely has a particular view. You have to be aware of the fact that people will see your collaboration and might have something to say, but that doesn’t mean you compromise on what’s right and wrong, and I like to think I stick to those principles.
Most importantly, I support that group of people in Gaza. Seeing the circumstances they live in, I can’t truly appreciate at all because at the end of it, I knew I’d still be coming back to my home – but that’s a constant for them. Even in their circumstances, they’re still caring for others. I will never forget the way they cared for me. The stories, the laughter, the support, the encouragement was immense, I’ve never experienced anything like that. These are things I think people should understand more.'
And because running 65km to support MAP wasn't quite enough, a few days later Richmond climed Snowdon with some friends to continue his fundraising efforts! We'd like to say a huge thank you for your dedication and support in taking on these incredible challenges for MAP, Richmond.
We look forward to seeing what Richmond does next to fundraise for MAP! I hope his work and enthusiasm can inspire you the way it inspires us.
If you'd like to show your support or joining us saying a big well done to Richmond, there's still time to sponsor him here and help him reach his £2000 target for MAP!
Richmond’s dedications:
I dedicate the run to the physio team in Gaza who gave me the inspiration.
Huge gratitude to all those who donated.
And big thanks to Jo, my wife, for supporting, my two friends who ran with me at the start, another pal who picked me up and fed me at the end, my old friends who hiked with me up Snowdon, and my running crew from Ring O Fire who are incredible encouragers and keep the belief alive.
If you are interested in fundraising for MAP, please let us know your fundraising idea by emailing [email protected]. You can also find out more about what you can do here.