Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces

On 20 June I am going to run a run a  marathon in Williamstown and attempt to break goal I set 10 years ago and raise money to help business owners create   more mentally healthy workplaces.


10 years ago, when I was 30 I completed my first marathon at a time of 3.31.  Immediately afterwards I set my goal of  running a sub 3 hour marathon.


Only 1 % of people in the world run a marathon and only 1 % of people that run a marathon break 3 hours. It’s a milestone time in marathon.


In 2012 we had Axel in Jan and soon  after I hired a running coach and committed to a 6 month program to prepare for the Gold Coast Marathon in July.

The program was hectic running some days twice a day, and up to 120kms per week.


My marathon prep was pretty much  flawless, which included being best man in my best mates wedding in Fiji. I  remember doing a 34km training run on a small island with an arc of 1.7km yelling out  ‘Bulla’ every time I ran past the  security crew on the front gate about 20 times.


I hit the GC much like I am feeling now.    Fit and ready to go. Long story short,  900m from for finish line at a time of  2.52 I ran through a set of traffic lights  thinking it was the finish line and collapsed, like a you see on the Olympics when   the runners are dehydrated,  i was like a drunk crab walking home from the pub.


I was taken away in an ambulance, put on a drip and wrapped in foil to warm up. I  don’t remember any of this but come to my senses in the ‘Mash’ tent with Stacy   by my side and I asked her what  happened. She said ‘you don’t want to  know’.


I was dehydrated from the run, not knowing my body needed so much more fluid when racing. I was running fast and on the edge, my heart rate was high and if was hot. I didn’t allow for this, often  knocking back water not wanting to stop for a p155 to slow me down.


Yes I was disappointed, yes I was upset    but strangely the biggest feeling I remember was feeling proud I pushed myself to its limit. And most importantly I knew I could run sub 3 and I was  determined to just do the next marathon and achieve my goal.


8 years on has seen many setbacks which has not allowed me to really even train for a sub 3 hour. Knee injuries kept  stopping my training and then I found  out I had hip displaysia and told not to  run marathon anymore as I would need a hip replacement by the time I’m 40.


Well now I’m 40 and im not walking  around in a frame ... Yet. I kept running the whole time 3x per week - albeit at a lower pace and have completed 5 more marathons times between 3.14 and 3.39.


When I turned 40 in Jan I realised now was the time to do it... I couldn’t wait any longer.

I wrote myself a program on the flight home from the Super Bowl in Miami in early Feb.


I joined a Gym to build the strength in my legs which would allow me to do the fast track work to bring my times back down.


I got 8 weeks gym training in before Covid  hit which was enough to release   me onto the running track weekly to         start to run faster.


During Covid I carefully increased my running days from 3 days to 5 days and increased my kms up to 100km per week


I have not missed a session for almost 5 months determined to get my times down to run this sub 3 marathon.


So on 20 June I will be running the  streets of Williamstown to hopefully get this monkey off my back... come and say hello.


I will be raising money to support the  business community which has been  challenged during this Covid lock down.


Mental Health in the workplace is a real issue. On average 1 in 5 employees are  suffering from some sort of mental health condition.

My business SEIVA care about helping  Business Leaders  create healthier  workplaces by  having better discussions, better support and treatment to people suffering in the workplace. 


Our goal is to raise $11,000 which will pay for 50 workplaces around Australia to be trained by a MHFA (Mental Health First Aid Australia) licensed    trainer so they start their journey to become a  mentally healthy workplace. 100% of funds raised will be used for us to pay for this.


$220 pays for the training for 1 workplace.


SEIVA will donate the first $2,500 and if I run under 3 hours, I will double that to $5,000

About the run... on the morning of 20 June, I will be running from 6.30- 9.30am (ish). Starting and finishing at Willy Life Saving Club.

I will be looping around Williamstown up to the Newport athletics track and back  3 times.


So if you are out and about come and say hello...