Evan Dunfee can鈥檛 imagine his life without race walking.

So the 28-year-old from Richmond, B.C., has spent the past 25 days walking in hopes to help other kids realize the transformative power of sport.

Dunfee, who was fourth in the 50-kilometre race walk at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has walked 25 kilometres each day for the past 25 days to raise money for KidSportBC, an organization that provides financial assistance for children鈥檚 sports registration fees and equipment.

鈥淭heir mission is so simple, get more kids registered in sport, break down that financial barrier that prevents some families from putting their kids in sport, and take that pressure off them,鈥� Dunfee said. 鈥滸rowing up and being transformed by sport, I think about the person I would be if I hadn鈥檛 had sport. I don鈥檛 know where I鈥檇 be but I鈥檇 be much worse off.

鈥淚 owe so much of who I am to the experiences I鈥檝e had through sport, and the idea that opportunity doesn鈥檛 exist for kids eats me up a little bit.鈥�

The fundraiser was also in celebration of KidSport鈥檚 25th anniversary. He鈥檚 raised over $8,000 鈥� enough to fund 20 kids in sports. He鈥檚 also doing 25 school presentations, most of them next month, and hopes that will push him over his goal of raising $25,000.

鈥淢y big message with the school talks is: find something you love, find something you鈥檙e passionate about, and then use it help others,鈥� he said.

Dunfee has completed most of the walks around Vancouver鈥檚 Lower Mainland. Local runners have joined him for some. His dad accompanied him on a bike for one. For Friday鈥檚 finale, he was meeting retired teammate Inaki Gomez for the final 10K which would take the two to Gomez鈥檚 downtown Vancouver law office.

鈥淕lad we get the opportunity to finish it up together,鈥� he said.

Dunfee has averaged two hours two minutes over 25 kilometres, which is quicker than he鈥檇 expected. An added benefit: he feels stronger for having completed the walks.

鈥淚鈥檝e definitely felt like I鈥檝e gotten a lot fitter, despite not actively doing this as a fitness thing, I haven鈥檛 really been treating this like training, I鈥檝e been treating it more like exercise,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I definitely feel fitter and stronger than I did three weeks ago.鈥�

Dunfee鈥檚 fourth place finish was one of Canada鈥檚 biggest stories in Rio. He was upgraded to bronze after being jostled by Hirooki Arai of Japan. Arai appealed, bumping Dunfee to fourth, and the Canadian opted not to file a counter-appeal, saying in a statement: 鈥淚 will never allow myself to be defined by the accolades I receive, rather the integrity I carry through life.鈥�

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

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