Marathon Runner On A Mission

One of the world’s most renowned marathon runners is coming through the Whitsundays this week as part of his 14,000-kilometre, six-month solo expedition around Australia to raise awareness for The Voice.

Pat Farmer is former MP who is combining his skills for advocating for important causes with his ability to run for long distances.

“It’s about having purpose in my life, and I am committed to making my life matter,” said Pat.

“I’ve been given this God-given gift to run long distances faster than most other people in the world, so I want to use it for good.

“This is the most important thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Pat left Tasmania in April and, after appearing at several locations, he flew to Western Australia where he embarked on a mammoth trek up the coast to Darwin, over to Townsville and down to the Whitsundays.

Along the way, he has interacted with everyone, including Indigenous people and many other curious individuals who want to understand more about The Voice.

The Voice is a proposed law to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

It came about following a gathering in May 2017, where over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates came together in Mutitjulu in the shadow of Uluru and put their signatures on a historic statement.

Later this year, Australia will be asked to vote in a referendum to decide on whether to bring The Voice into the constitution.

So far, it has proven to be a contentious issue in politics, with the two many parties holding vastly different opinions about how successful it will be.

Pat believes The Voice will allow Indigenous people to be heard and express exactly what they need.

“The Voice will take on issues that are directly effecting indigenous people,” said Pat.

“It will allow them to control their own destiny and, if we get this through, it will become part of the constitution so politicians will be held accountable.”

With the Indigenous population representing just three per cent of the overall population, Pat believes that previously their needs were ignored.

“Australians so often support causes that are going on overseas, but they turn a blind eye to what’s happening here in their doorstep,” explained Pat.

Running through Bowen earlier this week, Pat is scheduled to arrive in Airlie Beach today with plans to join the Airlie Beach parkrun this Saturday morning before heading down to Mackay.

He will then continue down the coast, through Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Adelaide before fishing up in Alice Springs in time for The Voice referendum.

This is not the first time Pat has run for a cause, previously running across America three times and many parts of Asia, raising awareness for issues such as clean water, girls’ education, and cancer.

Pat says this is his most significant run yet, however, as “it’s important for everyone to help set up a future for Indigenous people.”

If you want to find out more about Pat and his cause, head down to Coral Sea Marina tomorrow morning at 7am, and he would love to have a chat.

You can even join him for a run!

Pat Farmer Stats:

Journey: 14,000 kilometres

Duration: 194 days

Time: 10 hours per day

Scale: Equivalent to two marathons per day

‍

Marathon runner, Pat Farmer, completes two marathons a day to raise awareness for The Voice. Photos supplied

Pat talks to Indigenous Elders about The Voice. Photo supplied

‍