From Our Founder;
On Sunday 31st May 2026, I will stand at the start line of the 10K at the Great Manchester Run.
I will not be sixty.
I will have turned sixty-two on 12th May.
And I will be running barefoot.
This is the 40@60 Challenge, and over time its meaning has grown deeper.
In Scripture, the number forty often marks seasons of formation, times of preparation, wilderness, and transformation. But 40@60 now carries another declaration as well: forty is the new sixty. Or perhaps more personally, that even in our sixties we do not have to accept decline as destiny.
The challenge itself is simple to explain but demanding to live: to remain as fit, disciplined, and alive at sixty-two as many people once expected to be at forty. It is not about chasing youth or denying age, but about redefining what maturity can look like; strength combined with wisdom, endurance shaped by humility, and energy directed by purpose.
Running barefoot is a deliberate part of that story. Leadership, after all, must remain connected to the ground. Many of the children we serve through Kanzi Kibera Friends grow up with very little between their feet and the earth, and running this way reminds me how easily comfort can distance us from compassion. Barefoot running demands attentiveness; you cannot run carelessly. Every step must be thoughtful, every landing gentle, every moment present. In its own quiet way, it reflects the spirit of WholeMission leadership; grounded, aware, and intentional.
There is a familiar cultural narrative that suggests our sixties should be a time to slow down and step back. But what if this decade is not a winding down, but a recalibration? A season of sharper clarity, leaner focus, and deeper investment in the next generation. At sixty-two I am not competing with thirty-year-olds; I am competing with complacency.
When I run in Manchester, I will carry Kibera with me. When my feet meet the tarmac, I will remember dusty paths. When the lungs burn, I will remember the resilience of the communities we serve. The 40@60 Challenge helps support the daily feeding of more than 600 children, education and mentorship pathways, the development of the Kanzi Resource Centre, and practical solutions that link rural farmers to urban families in need.
This is not athletic ego. It is embodied solidarity.
At this stage of life, the real question is no longer what we can build for ourselves, but what strength we can transfer to others. Physical vitality matters because mission requires stamina. Leadership requires energy. Legacy requires longevity.
If at sixty-two I can stand barefoot at the start line and finish well, perhaps it proves something larger; that purpose keeps us young, that service sustains vitality, and that disciplined living extends the reach of our impact.
If this story resonates with you, there are many ways to join the journey: by sponsoring the run, supporting a child, sharing the story, praying with us, or even taking on your own “40@60” challenge.
Because this is not only about a race.
It is about rewriting the story of ageing, leadership, and solidarity.
Sixty-two. Barefoot. Present. Grateful. Still running—and not alone.