Meet ‘the 24-hour girl’ running overnight to raise funds for an animal sanctuary

Olivia Moluchi, the '24-hour girl' is raising awareness, and funds, for an important cause.

Sore legs and sleepless hours couldn’t stop Olivia Moluchi — not with a circle of supporters running, biking, and cheering her through a 24-hour run at Lakewood Park, looping the same path again and again.

The 23-year-old University of Victoria student, who was born in Tecumseh, set off at 6:30 p.m. Friday before finishing Saturday at the same time.

“The idea came to me when I was in the shower one day,” Moluchi said. “I have been an animal activist and a vegetarian my entire life. I’ve always had these crazy ideas. What can I put my body through for others to raise awareness? Charlotte’s Freedom Farm came to mind.”

The sanctuary, located near Chatham, Ont., rescues animals from neglect, abuse, and factory farming. Moluchi said her visits there inspired her to push her physical limits for the cause.

By the end of the 24-hour period, Moluchi ran an estimated 120 kilometres.

“As long as I’m upright, I’m having a good time,” she said. “Friends, family, and community members have come out to run, bike, or rollerblade with me. Some people have even recognized me as ‘the 24-hour girl.’”

This isn’t her first extreme effort. In 2024, Moluchi ran 100 kilometres to raise more than $5,000 for ovarian cancer research in memory of a friend’s mother.

“I had never run more than 11k in my life until 2021, when I started running ultras,” she said. “It’s a great way to get the community together and raise awareness.”

By Saturday afternoon, a few hours before the end of her run, Moluchi had raised more than $4,400 for Charlotte’s Freedom Farm — surpassing her original goal of $3,000.

“All this is going to the animals,” she said. “Hopefully, they can take more animals and give them even more love.”

Lauren Edwards, who runs Charlotte’s Freedom Farm, said the run has left her in awe.

“Twenty-four hours of running. I mean, I had trouble getting out of bed this morning,” Edwards said. “She well surpassed the original goal of $3,000. It’s amazing to see the support and to see what she’s doing here.”

Edwards joined Moluchi for a lap with some of the farm’s animals and volunteers, watching community members rally behind the challenge.

“She’s got a few hours left, and she’s still full of energy, which is amazing,” Edwards said, while walking a lap with Moluchi around 2:30 p.m. “I think a lot of people have been motivated [by her]. Hopefully, it gets people out and makes them try new things they didn’t think they could do.”

Despite sore legs and a lack of an overnight sleep, Moluchi said the encouragement around her has kept her going step by step.

“My body’s hurting — but at 6:30 p.m., I’m in bed. So who cares?” she said with a laugh.