Growing up, Colorado native and Falcon resident Stephanie Sibert wasn’t athletic. However, on April 2, she will begin a 26-week project that involves running a total distance of about 500 miles.For health reasons, Sibert and her sister began running in June 2011. The two started out intermittingly walking and running through their neighborhood in the mornings with Charlie, their 100-pound Red Bone coonhound.Although Sibert began running to boost her health, she has incorporated her passion for helping others with her newly found exercise routine. ìI don’t want my life to be just about me; I want to make it about others, too,î she said.Inspired by Dutch photographer Ronald de Jongís online photos of the Philippines, Sibert started Running4BareFeet, a fundraising project that features a virtual running tour through the Philippines. But she wonít be leaving her neighborhood to log in those miles; instead, Sibert will run her usual route and blog about where she would be running if she was in the Philippines. Her friend Sarah Fritzler, a graphic designer, is helping Sibert create a blog and an online avenue for donors who want to support her running project.The virtual route will take Sibert from Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao to Caligan de Oro, then to Iligan City and back down to Cotabato City. She will then board a plane to the island of Palawan, follow a route down to the southern tip, then back up to Puerto Pricesa City. Sibert hopes to run four to five miles every day to achieve her goal by Oct. 25. She said during inclement weather she will run on her treadmill.ìMy goal is to raise $10,000 in the 26 weeks I’ll be running,î Sibert said.She has also planned a few 5k runs to involve the community. Her kick-off run is April 7, starting at 3 p.m. ñ it will follow the University Village Running Clubís route. The community is invited to participate at no cost. Two more runs are scheduled for sometime this summer, she said.Sibert chose the Aloha House and Compassion International as the recipients of her efforts. ìMy mom worked at Compassion International when I was little,î she said. ìThey’re based in the Springs and they go into different countries and set up schooling; give them medical help; establish church programs; and build relationships with the kids.î They also sponsor an educational program for children age 7 and older and a prenatal care program for pregnant women, Sibert said.The Aloha House is an adoption organization that takes in pregnant women to ensure they get proper care, Sibert said. ìThey have classes for the women, and they have a pretty big farm to teach the women how to farm sustainably,î she said.In between running and raising money for charity, Sibert writes for an online company and is involved with natural medicine. She is certified as an herbalist and is studying to become a midwife. Currently, Sibert assists the midwife who delivered her two youngest sisters at their family home. ìI’ve been on 25 births so far,î she said. ìIn order to be an assistant, you have to have gone on 20 births. To be the primary midwife, you need to assist on at least 75. It’ll take about three to five years.îFor certification, Sibert also studies books outside of the hands-on experiences.ìEvery birth is absolutely amazing, and I’m just in awe every time,î she said. ìI helped birth a baby that had been in an embryo bank for seven years. The baby was technically seven years old when she was born. Her parents participated in an embryo adoption so she wasn’t biologically related to either of them.îFinding time for all of her endeavors is often challenging, but Sibert said she plans to continue her charitable runs. ìI’ve planned my route for the next two years,î she said. ìI’d like to make this a yearly thing.îFor more information on Sibertís running project, visit http://running4barefeet.org.
