The following are the words of Martin Lonergan. He and his family approached us about helping him achieve his goal of walking from Houston, TX to Washington DC to raise awareness for a friend of his who he believes is unjustly held in a foreign prison.
Our goal as parent runners, inventors and entrepreneurs has always been about freedom. Freedom is one of those words that means something different to everybody. But we all know what it means to ourselves. This is Martin's story about using KidRunner to help a friend achieve his freedom.
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I am preparing to leave Washington DC after my epic 1800-mile Walk2Justice across 9 American states, from Houston, Texas, to the Capitol Building. I battled through Hurricane Nicholas, floods, and a tornado. It was a grueling journey, where I suffered a snake bite, loss of vision in an eye (temporary, fortunately), along with countless blisters and pain—averaging at least a marathon every day to complete the journey in just over two months without rest or respite.
Throughout the journey, I had but one companion, my Kidrunner. My Kidrunner bore the burden of my load and followed me relentlessly wherever I went, without complaint. We had a few moments between us and far too many punctures, but none of it was the fault of my Kidrunner. The little fellow carried almost three times his designed payload, sometimes over 30 kilos, and never once faltered.
I averaged 8-10 hours a day on the American highways and country backroads. The terrain was challenging and relentless, uphill and down dale. Still, on and on, the little fellow went doggedly behind me. It was a test far beyond the design criteria and way beyond what any small child as a passenger should or could endure, but never once did my companion let me down.
Pound for pound, or kilo for kilo the weight carrying capacity of the Kidrunner, with its excellent design features and carbon fiber towing bar, I doubt there is anything out there in the market to compare. I was surprised how well my rucksack harness adapted to fit the structure of the Kidrunner, and the balance and weight carrying was perfect. I was able to go further for longer only because of my following trusty friend
The Kidrunner is an excellent companion for anyone hitting the trail, and I am sure that the makers of Kidrunner should look at some synergy with one of the large hiking equipment manufacturers, like Berghaus or North Face. My rucksack is a Berghaus seventy litre BioFlex model, but I can quickly see how compatible the frame is with any good rucksack.
I shared many adventures on my journey across America with my Kidrunner, and I became very attached to the little fellow in every sense of the word. The towing harness was comfortable and never caused me any irritation, even in the harshest of weather. So it is with great pity that we must part, but I leave him with my friend Nasir, whose wife runs a daycare centre in Mount Vernon. I hope in retirement that my little buddy can enjoy carrying some of the little kiddies around and do the job he was born for, as he has earned his retirement.