Afowiri Kizito Fondzenyuy the Toghu Marathoner was Guest of Honor to the 2023 World Humanitarian Day commemoration in Houston Texas, USA.
The event, which is organized through PEP Africa International and their partners, marked the 2023 World Humanitarian Day and President Volunteer Service Award (PVSA).
The US President Joe Biden honored over 100 humanitarian actors from the USA in an event where they interact, learn, listen, and share in a fun and creative way.
Afowiri Kizito Fondzenyuy who has been running marathons wearing a native northwest region in Cameroon, Toghu, was among the 35 recipients of the President Volunteer Service Award.
The Toghu Marathoner received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his community service through the Amom Foundation. he highlighted his desire to complete marathons in all seven continents in Toghu, with Sydney – September and Tokyo – March 2024 next in line for him.
He said he will keep running for the causes he believes in through The Toghu Marathoner brand and Amom Foundation.
“I adopted the name Toghu Marathoner because I saw someone running with a pineapple on his head at the Berlin Marathon and it occurred to me that we do not have some level of representation to create some awareness”
“I went back home and decided to run in Toghu which represents our tradition and culture in North-West Cameroon and I have been running marathons across the world with it”
“Running in Toghu has made me a special marathoner because I promote my rich cultural heritage and it has also helped me raise funds for the causes I believe in such as education and research”, he said, before receiving the award.
Having run a total of 15 marathons with 3 of them, London, Athens and Boston in Toghu, Afowiri looks to extend this Guiness World Record at the Sydney Marathon in September and then in Tokyo, Japan, March 2024.
He thanked the organizers of the event for finding him worthy of the award, adding that it will fuel him to do more for humanity.
“This is a very special moment in my life and I want to thank the PEP Africa International and the President Volunteer Service Award for this honor”
“I also want to thank everyone who has donated to my causes and everyone who has been there for me from the onset, this one’s for you”, he said.
