Between May and September 2015, I travelled across Australia on foot. Every morning I would start from the exact location where I had finished the night before. It was me, two support crew, a camper van, and a whole load of support from running communities around Australia, friends, family, and some amazing strangers…
The reason? Well, I had spent a number of years going through something of a personal development process (or journey, as they say). It culminated in training for, and completing, a marathon. Getting to the start line, and crossing the finish line, stirred something inside me, and I was looking for “something”. I wanted to do something to show others that you can achieve whatever you allow yourself to believe…
I was involved with an informal running club at the time, with members in Perth, Brisbane and other Australian locations. One of the Perth-based founders, Pete, jokingly posted a suggested Sunday long run route; it was a direct route from Perth to Brisbane. The cogs in my brain started ticking…
Then, a friend from outside of the running world happened to tag me in a picture; it was a truck for a haulage company. Wilmot. My surname with the correct spelling… the company tagline was “Brisbane to Perth Specialists”.
My spine tingled.
The thing is, I knew immediately it was THE idea I was looking for
Deep, deep, deep in my psyche I have always admired, and perhaps envied, people who take on incredible journeys – whether that’s running/walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats, or running around the world.
When i saw the mockup of the Perth to Brisbane run, it clicked inside almost immediately. From that point on, I could not get the idea out of my head. I decided that I would run from Perth to Brisbane, even though I had no idea…
- how (except slowly)
- of the logistics involved
- who could help put this together
- who would be support crew
- how bills would be paid
- how long it would take me
What I did know was there was a time that I didn’t believe the marathon could happen, and yet it did.
So I posted about it, told people about it, and put out the video below. Things had been put in motion…