Running marathons is one thing, but running marathons while pushing a wheelchair is another. You may wonder who would be crazy enough to do that, well let me tell you my dad is!! My dad and I have been running together for about 2 years with the Christchurch Marathon being our annual event.

My dad is an avid runner, beginning his journey 6 years ago and hasn’t stopped running since. Running is something we can do together, he often says he is my legs and I am his inspiration. While we are out running we are equal, there’s no difference and we both feel the same thrill of speed and the wind in our hair. We hype each other up or as he likes to say, I tell him when he’s slowing down apparently! A lot of conversations go on during our marathons about life, goals or the fact that the slightest hills are starting to hurt but we take it all in our stride.

I love running with my dad because I get to see into his mind for a few hours. The freedom he feels and the quietness that allows your thoughts to flow. I may not feel the physical aspect of running (mind you the bumps become more noticeable around 21km in so maybe I do feel something physical) but I feel the mental aspect. Doing 4 laps of the same loop can be mentally challenging by the second lap but I focus on keeping the energy up for my dad. We are a team so if one is struggling the other one has to pick up the weight.

We have a lot of running as a team to go yet. We have the Christchurch marathon in April which we look forward to every year. Our goal is to run the New York marathon together which would be insane! If you know any events that are open to wheelchairs being pushed, reach out as we would love to do them.

What do you do that makes you feel free?

About the author:
I am a born and raised young New Zealand Māori woman. I was born with cerebral palsy which affects my muscles but not my mind. I am just like any other young person who has dreams, and aspirations and enjoys having fun. I am in my fourth year at the University of Auckland studying Criminology and Māori Studies with dreams of one day working in the justice system. I have a YouTube channel called Wheely Wacky Adventures where my friend Leah and I share videos of our adventures such as skydiving and bungy jumping just to name a couple. I am full of life and ready to take on what comes for me.