18 / matters magazine / school 2018 run in Millburn was his next inspira- tion. Coach Nathan wouldn’t simply run the race. Instead, he “juggled” – keeping the soccer ball up in the air us- ing only his feet – the entire distance. “A few weeks after doing that race, I thought, ‘Well, that was pretty easy,” he recalls. “I need something more challenging.” That’s when he and Kick4Life co-founder Pete Fleming set an epic goal: Davies would jug- gle a soccer ball across Lesotho, raising money for the children of the country. If he completed the 208-mile task, he would also set a world record for being the only person in history ever to juggle a soccer ball across an entire country. Davies would indeed set that world record, covering roughly 22 miles each day in a little more than 10 days. When asked about the experience, he places his focus on the importance of fundrais- ing rather than his personal record. “If I’m doing anything, it has to be around helping kids,” he says. “These kids don’t need a lot. They don’t ask for a lot. You don’t want any kids to be abused and you want to get them off the street. You want to help educate them.” When pressed, Davies tells a story about how he had to give his four- person crew a peptalk. “They hadn’t trained [for a 208-mile journey] for this like I did, and I think they were a bit annoyed with me by the third day,” he said, while smiling. “But I motivated them. And they were just great.” “His world record is just incredible,” adds Fleming. “Lesotho is known as the ‘King- dom in the Sky,’ with three-quarters of the country covered by mountains, so the ter- rain was very tough. Not only that, but Le- Nathan Davies "juggled" a soccer ball across the country of Lesotho – 208 miles – to raise money for children. He also set a world record. Covering roughly 22 miles each day, Davies took to a daily diet of 20 - 25 bananas. Davies encountered all sorts of interesting scenery, traveling on dirt roads, pavement, and rocky paths. Info at www.hartshornarboretum.org 973-376-3587 Close to Nature. Close to Home. Looking for a beautiful fall experience? Leaf it to us. Looking for a beautiful fall experience? Leaf it to us. Info at www.hartshornarboretum.org 973-376-3587 Close to Nature. Close to Home. Nature classes for kids of all ages plus special events including our famous Teddy Bear Parade (9/9), Family Camp-Out (9/22), Fantastic Beasts of NJ (10/28), and themed nature hikes. This is one colorful place! 19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange 973 821 5145 Need Back-to-School luNch coNtaiNerS? thermoses bento boxes snack boxes yogurt containers lunch bags sandwich wraps our popular Sporks We focus on value and clean designs.We search for vendors who put their money into their product, not into licensing and characters to slap onto their wares. “A toy store for grown-ups.” New Jersey Monthly BEST of NJ 4 YEARS RUNNING Named All-Star Retailer of the Year by Gourmet Insider Magazine South Orange’s Destination for Great Gifts