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When I was 16 years old, I lost my dad to stomach cancer (a form of cancer that was only supposed to affect 'old' men) - he was 36. Three months later my grandfather died of Leukaemia (cancer of the blood) - he was 63. Since then, I had wanted to do something to help find a cure. However, like most things that seem daunting, I put it on the list of things to do 'one day'. Late last year, 'one day' arrived. I'm not sure what triggered it, but NOW seemed like the right time to do something. NOW is all we have, this was one of the last things my dad taught me. About 6 years ago, I started to get into running. I found it was something that didn't come easy to me but somehow it felt right. The training, the constant pushing and the feeling of accomplishment gradually became a larger part of my life. Slowly but surely I began to improve and found that long distance running suited my body and my personality. The idea of never giving up, was something that was instilled in me by my parents from an early age and further nourished by my Martial Arts training which I began when I was twelve. By completing The Long Run Home, I hope that I can show others the importance of this simple yet all important philosophy. I have no doubt in my mind that running from my current home (Melbourne) to the place I was raised (Portland) in five days, is going to hurt more than anything I have done previously… but that's the point. Cancer sufferers endure fights that most of us could never even imagine.
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