A Different Type of Cross-Country Run
Whether you were forced to do it at school or you’re a regular competitor, most of us have done a cross-country run at least once. Well, earlier this week, a man by the name of Nedd Brockmann shuffled down the Bondi Beach promenade to complete a type of cross-country run you probably haven’t tried before. To raise money for We Are Mobilise, a charity looking to solve Australia’s homelessness problem, the electrician from rural New South Wales embarked on an epic cross-country run that took him from Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia to Syndey’s Bondi Beach. The 47-day journey saw Brockmann cover almost 4000km on foot, arriving in Bondi on Monday evening to a rockstars’ reception.
Nedd Brockmann arrives in Bondi
The mammoth effort brought the 23-year-old to tears as he climbed the stairs to the balcony of the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club to speak to the crowd.
“I am absolutely blown away. It has taken a lot and a lot to get here. I don’t think I can explain the depths I’ve had to go to. To have all this support is absolutely mind-blowing. I am speechless. Thank you guys. Amazing.”
Brockmann then capped off his address with a quintessentially Australian shoey, much to the rapture of the crowd, before retreating inside to begin the long recovery process.
Nedd Brockmann on the balcony of the Bondi Surf Club
While it was all smiles and celebration in Bondi on Monday evening, it’s safe to say the experience was not without its’ low points. From as early as day three, Brockmann’s body began to break down.
“I started off…with some pretty sore knees, and the pain was quite ferocious, but no one died from sore knees, so I kept on trucking. By day eight, the knee pain went away, and I got severe tenosynovitis in my shin muscle.”
After being forced to walk for two days due to the pain, Brockmann decided he needed proper medical help. After completing his twelfth day on the road, he took a 28-hour round trip to the nearest MRI machine, where his injuries were confirmed and two cortisone injections administered. He arrived back at the roadhouse at 2am before rising at 5am to complete the next 100km stint of his journey.
His injuries didn’t stop there: Brockmann suffered from pus-filled blisters, maggots living in his feet, and the inability to straighten his arms as his biceps were drawn taut from being in a running position for so long.
Despite the monumental obstacles in his path, Brockmann’s confidence never wavered.
“Not once did I have a doubt that I was going to get it done,” he explained in an interview on The Today Show.
“Whether it meant I walked 50km a day or ran the 100km, I was always going to do it. People ask what percentage is physical and what is mental. I say it’s 100 per cent physical and 100 per cent mental…it’s incredible what the body can withstand when the mind doesn’t give in.”
Brockmann’s unrelenting resolve has inspired millions across the country, and indeed the world, and has helped him raise more than $2 million for charity.
Even those who have spent their careers as runners were in awe of Brockmann’s effort. Australian running legend Steve Moneghetti commented that the run was “Incredible…I thought I was an endurance athlete, but this puts it into perspective.”
Professional ultra-runner Lucy Bartholomew echoed Moneghetti’s sentiment:
“Ultimately, I mean, your body is going to be pretty broken when you do something like that…I have just the most respect for him.”
Brockmann’s efforts have generated calls for him to be named Australian of the Year, and many are eager to know what great endeavour is next. For now, though, it’s likely all those things are far from his mind, and the focus for the meantime will be on enjoying some well-earned rest.
As the man himself said on the eve of his final day of the run:
“The body’s cooked, but who cares? I get to sleep in tomorrow.”
Nedd Brockmann on a lonely stretch of road somewhere in the middle of Australia
You can visit Nedd Brockmann’s website here.