Tonic has been following Chris Jackson‘s journey to bring awareness to the Congo. Beginning with plans to run 12 marathons in 12 months, we’ve watched him throw in an adventure run, an Ironman, a bike race and a few more for good measure here and there. Through all of these immense challenges, it has been the people of the DRC that have kept him going. As promised last week, we followed him on his most important run yet — a marathon through the Congo itself. An experience that has changed his life, yet again.
Knowledge is Power
Jackson had more than a few of us fidgeting on Wednesday as we awaited word about the marathon he planned to run that day through the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eerily, by Thursday evening, he hadn’t updated his blog, Twittered, Facebooked, nor sent an email. Finally early Friday morning I received word: “The run was amazing.” Relief. The funny, determined little Englishman with the ginger hair had done it.
Finishing in 3 hours and 40 minutes, expectedly slower than his usual sub three hour marathons, Jackson hadn’t been met by crowds of cheering supporters lining his route. Instead, hostile stares often bore down on him. The scenery, dramatically different than his UK races, was made all the more grave by the presence of soldiers and UN vehicles. At the end he says, “I just had to collapse on the floor and I couldn’t take it all in. No tears, but I just wanted to cry; I felt so numb and cold.”
Jackson’s blog entries leading up to the planned day had been nothing short of profound, especially in light of what he was about to do. His last reports were from Rwanda, where he visited the Kigali Memorial Centre that was built to honor those who died in the 1994 genocide. “From listening to people and seeing the bodies, bones, skulls, weapons, clothes, blood, scars, landscape I can’t quite understand how so much hatred can be used to eliminate a race. This was never supposed to happen after the holocaust,” blogged Jackson as he prepared to tread 26 miles across neighboring Congo, the staging ground of the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
“You feel something other than guilt, because how can you be guilty when we weren’t aware of it? Knowledge is supposedly power, so I guess by knowing nothing then we are powerless. This is why I run to make sure that a lack of knowledge is no longer an excuse like it was in 1994. It is a bit late now, over 1 million Rwandan’s died. In the DRC 5.5 million have already died, this needs to stop.”
Jackson was clearly affected by this reminder that never again has posessed little resilience. His experiences in Rwanda left him so scared that he had troubles sleeping. Just before leaving he wrote, “Nightmares, they left me sick. I’m genuinely scared about going to the Congo because the atrocities continue.” As friends and family awaited news this week (trying to not let their thoughts go to dark and scary places) it turns out his plans had actually been delayed while he wrangled with authorities for travel visas.
New Beginnings at the Finish Line
Friday, on Facebook, Jackson wrote to anxious followers: “Earlier yesterday afternoon Chris Jackson and Dom Goggins completed the first ever marathon in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This achievement is dedicated to those who have died or had their families torn apart by the conflict in the DRC, the people who have supported me along the way and also 2 fingers to those who said it was stupid and impossible.”
Jackson says the experience, although “emotionally draining,” hasn’t really sunk in yet. However, it’s clear that whatever happened to him on those 26 miles has made him even more determined — if that were at all possible — to help the people of the Congo. “I think it dawned on me that this little run is very small in the scheme of things. Having heard some of the stories of the people I’ve met. I now need to seriously think about what I do next to keep people interested in the DRC and hopefully to get the UK government to do more. This marathon is only just the start for me.”
Before Jackson reached the Congo, an email from one of his pals in London arrived in my box. “Can you make sure this gets to the Lads,” he wrote. This was his message: “You two are inspirational to us all mate and, putting things in perspective even if we have not seen what you have seen. Finish what you set out to do there my friends and no matter what you see or feel, make sure that the legacy you leave there is hope for those people, where there is a smile there is hope, where you can play football with a ball made from plastic bags with 50 kids, there is hope. I know it will be emotional for you out there, hell I’m getting emotional right now, but you are trying to make a difference, not only with the money you are making for them, but for the smiles you are giving them along your way.”
For Chris Jackson, smiling isn’t enough. He’s got his game face on and he’s got even bigger plans. But friends like that — I figure he’s going to need a lot more of ‘em to put a stop to what we now know is happening in the Democratic Republic Of Congo.
Show Chris Jackson and Women for Women International your support by visiting his blog.
Learn more about conflict minerals in the DRC from the Enough Project.
Photo by Fjona Hill.
