Johnathan Hewis has run many marathons, triathlons and ultra-marathons, raising money for causes close to his heart. On December 9, 2023, he will take on the 167.5km long Ultra Trail Kosci Miler for Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.
The Ultra Trail Kosci Miler traverses the highest peak in Australia, with more than 5000 metres of elevation across the course. Weather conditions can be variable, and temperatures may vary from minus °C temps up to 30°C , so this is an extremely challenging event. Johnathan explains his motivation:
“My background is in diagnostic radiography and have spent a lot of my clinical career imaging and caring for people with a cancer diagnosis. In 2023, I was the convenor for our professional body’s scientific conference called ASMIRT 2023. As part of the opening ceremony, we were graced by the presence and performance of the incredible Chris O’Brien Lifehouse choir. Their performance was incredibly inspiring, and I decided I wanted to raise funds for Chris O'Brien Lifehouse’s critical work and research.
I’ve set myself a fundraising goal of $5,000 and I’ve had to be quite creative, due to the cost-of-living crisis affecting so many of us. I recently organised an event on my university campus, running 1km laps of the carpark and lots of people joined me for a loop or three- some of my colleagues even held walking meetings on the track. I completed 50km of running over five hours and more importantly raised funds for Chris O’Brien Lifehouse!
I’ve been competing in long distance triathlons and running events for more than a decade. Long endurance races are often very unpredictable and there can be circumstances outside of your control that you need to adapt to. My goal is to finish within the cut off time (32 hours) and raise more funds along the way. I see the training journey as my personal achievement and races like this motivate me to exercise, which is important for my health and wellbeing.
The Ultra Trail Kosci Miler is a big event, and I could be out there running for a maximum of 32 hours, although my goal is to finish around 24 -26 hours. I know my body should cope with the distance and the stress, but it’s the psychological part that will be the most challenging. When you race long distances, you mentally break it up into much smaller sections, focus on what you can control and just keep moving forward. The race will hurt, but it will only be temporary. Knowing that people have generously donated will be a motivator and hopefully get me across that finish line.
My family are my biggest support. My partner Nicola and I have two young boys, I am writing up my PhD and I have a demanding academic career, so I have to be very smart about my training. I do a lot of running when the boys are asleep, but I could not compete in this race without Nicola and her incredible support.”
