06

Kep to Sihanoukville

We spent last evening on the beach following a seafood barbeque, serenaded into dreamland by a local Cambodian wedding and a chorus of wild barking dogs.  Falling asleep after midnight did not keep Sam from setting out at sunrise on the final day of his cross-Cambodian odyssey.

Sam ran along the seaside in Kep, a sleepy coastal town once a glamorous resort destination founded as a French colonial retreat.  The town reached the height of it’s popularity in the 1960s, and today is dotted with the select few French-style villas which survived the Khmer Rouge regime.

Sam departed Kep with his sprits high, pounding the pavement and making great time as he arrived 16km later in Kampot, a small city renown in couture culinary circles for it’s pepper.

Stopping for our last lunchtime picnic just outside Kampot, Sam was fueled-up for the final stretch of his race by indulging in bologna, cheese and jelly sandwiches. Seriously.

Sam brought a deep reservoir of focus and strength to the final segment of this journey, which included 80km on his

mountain bike followed by a further 20km on foot. Somewhat ironically, the steepest terrain of Sam's entire journey was to be found in the final half of today’s trek.

Our crew expanded in the final hours with the welcome addition of Sam’s mother and father who traveled from the States to help watch Sam complete his race and support his venture.

We arrived in the coastal city of Sihanoukville just as the sun began to sink into the sea, casting the city in a triumphant golden hue.  Sam was single-minded in his focus to finish his journey at the exact beach that the Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School students visit during their annual graduation celebration.  To reach this beach, Sam conquered seemingly unending inclines and deftly navigated streets packed with tourists, motorcycles, and touting restaurateurs.

At the brink of total exhaustion, Sam arrived at the waters' edge and dove into the Gulf of Thailand, still wearing his running shoes, Sala Bai shirt and a newly-born feeling of exaltation.

For Sam, diving into the ocean completed his circle: he had followed the actual journey taken by one recent graduate,

Khatna, from her floating village in Mechrey on Tonle Sap Lake to the sandy beachfront of Sihanoukville.

It was an emotional few moments after Sam emerged from the water and embraced his parents on the beach, remarking with conviction, “Anything is possible. We can do anything we put our hearts to; all we need is a little support from our friends and family”.  Sam is a proof that a committed individual can accomplish anything.  After these brief and eloquent words, Sam hugged each of his parents and left the beach for a well-deserved hot shower and comfortable night's sleep.

Over the course of seven days, Sam cycled 503 kilometers, ran just over four marathons, swam in one lake, and crossed one river.  Sam has completed his journey.

To help celebrate Sam’s journey and to support the fight against human trafficking, please donate to Touch Sala Bai today.

Did you miss our previous posts?  Read the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh installments of Sam's adventure.

- Meghan Shea