28 Sep Marc in Mercy Ships Marathon
A Dutch runner is training hard for the London Marathon to raise funds for Mercy Ships.
Marc Soffree, who works as a charterer for shipping company Iver Ships BV, supports the charity but was galvanised to do more after visiting the Global Mercy while it was in Rotterdam during March 2022.
Both the seeing the purpose-built hospital ship and hearing about a young patient who had his cataracts removed inspired Marc to do more.
Marc, who lives in Rotterdam, said: “I had cataracts removed in January 2022 and it gives you such blurry vision and it is so different after the surgery. I heard Mercy Ships executive director Bryce Wagner talk about a five-year-old child with cataracts and it all became even more personal to me to think what the child went through.”
The shipping professional, in the tanker department of Iver Ships under the Vroon umbrella, has run just under 20 miles (32km) in training and is determined to raise as much as he can for the cause. He also hopes to volunteer on one of the hospital ships in the future during his annual leave.
Marc lived in London for 5.5 years and always hoped to fulfil his ambition to run the London Marathon, which falls on October 2 this year.
We have two marathon runners this year, the second is young at heart grandmother Angie Austin.