Adéla runs 100 km for the children of Gaza

My name is Adéla Jakeš Zapletalová, and on October 24, 2025, I will line up at the start of a 100 km ultra trail Boubín – Libín – Kleť, a long-distance hike through the Šumava foothills with over 4,000 meters of elevation gain. This year’s event is part of the ČSUT Cup and the opening stage of the EKUT 2025 challenge.

I decided to run for all the innocent children in Gaza – for those who have already lost their lives and for those who are being born into inhuman conditions. I am a mother of three, living a privileged life in the safety of the Czech Republic, and I can no longer remain silent in the face of the suffering that other children and families endure.

According to UNICEF and the UN, more than 17,000 children have been killed in Gaza over the past two years. Every day, dozens of innocent lives are lost. In recent months alone, an average of 28 children have died every single day. On August 22, 2025, the UN officially declared famine in Gaza – thousands more children and families are now fighting for bare survival.

I believe the environment in which children grow up is crucial for their future. Children in Gaza, instead of safety and love, are confronted with fear, hunger, and violence. If we do not help them now, the consequences will be carried by generations to come.

Running, for me, is a symbol of freedom. A freedom that the people of Gaza do not have today. The 100 km I will run also carry a symbolic weight – a parallel to nearly 100 years of ongoing conflict. I can choose to run; the people there cannot. I do not judge the politics of the conflict. I judge the suffering of the innocent.

This fundraiser is not political – it is humanitarian.

Why I run:
I run because I believe that even one person can help change the world.
I run for all the children whose freedom and safety have been taken away.
And I run to make sure help reaches where it is needed – quickly, directly, and tangibly.

I believe that what we grow up with as children – whether it’s conditions, role models, or trauma – shapes us for life. Trauma is not just a painful event; it is what happens inside us when, in the most vital moments, we do not receive what we need.

What is happening in Gaza today does not only affect the childhood of its children – it will shape entire future generations. Unless we act urgently, yesterday was already too late, the lack of a healthy foundation will be reflected not only in their future but in the future of us all. This concerns the whole world.

Let us not close our eyes. This is happening – and it is happening right now.

Not only children are dying. Every day, civilians are killed – journalists, hospital patients, doctors, paramedics, humanitarian workers.

With love,
Adéla