EPHRAIM — Justin Osmond, a second-generation Osmond, is gearing up for the biggest performance of his life.
And he won't be singing.
Instead, Osmond is taking part in the Run4Hearing charitable run. The goal is to give 25 children an opportunity at better hearing.
Osmond is in the final two weeks of his training, with plans to run from his hometown of Ephraim to St. George — 250 miles in just eight days.
“This is by far the biggest challenge I have ever been through,” he said while running Thursday. "It's pretty challenging, and physically, mentally and emotionally (exhausting)."
Osmond is part of the famous Utah singing family, but he has never heard their music the way most others have.
“I was born with a 90 percent hearing loss. I am the only one of the second generation of the Osmond family who was born with this genetic hearing loss,” he said.
Two of his uncles are deaf, Osmond said, and helping people with hearing impairments was something dear to his grandmother, Olive Osmond.
“It is very personal to me. I hope I can make her proud,” Justin Osmond said.
That's why he started the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund, which helps raise awareness for the deaf and hard of hearing.
“Someone gave me a chance. Someone gave me an opportunity to be able to speak, to be able to hear, to sign, and all these wonderful things,” he said. “And so this is my way of paying it forward to help other deaf children so they can get reconnected to life.”
Osmond is working on getting donations for every mile he runs. His goal is to raise enough money to buy hearing aids for 25 Utah kids.
“I kind of hoped he would get rid of the idea,” said his wife, Kristi Osmond, “but he got more and more motivated.”
Kristi Osmond had her concerns, particularly when thinking of her husband running an average of 35 miles a day for eight days straight.
“Many people have told him not to do it, and it is too far and too hard on your body. It’s too intense, the training, the time involved, and I appreciate the fact he loves these kids enough to do it anyway,” she said.
Justin Osmond has been training for months, running at least 100 miles a week to get ready.
“It is very exhausting, but … those kids down in southern Utah, they are worth it,” he said. “I think about them, and I keep going.”
Justin Osmond says he's always been active, playing soccer, basketball and football. One day, his neighbor asked him to join her for an early morning run.
"It's become very addicting in a very good way. It's fun," he said.
Helping those children is why Justin Osmond is looking forward to his long run, which begins May 2. He is also sponsoring a 5K charitable run at the starting line in Ephraim as well as at the finish line in St. George called the Run4Hearing.
"I love those kids," he said. "I want what's best for them."
Email: spenrod@deseretnews.com