RUNNING FOR GOOD The Foundation is so fortunate to have two amazing athletes completing epic running missions to raise funds for us. Ultra-marathon runner Nick Ashill is returning to America to complete his coast-to-coast run, which was cut short by a serious accident four years ago. And fellow Wellingtonian Shane Ross is completing 21 half marathons in 21 weeks, finishing this month.
NICK’S STORY
Nick with family after his accident in 2017
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ou might remember Nick’s inspiring story from our Winter 2021 issue. The ultramarathon runner, who is also a marketing professor at Victoria University of Wellington, went to the United States in 2017 to complete an epic run from Los Angeles to New York. He was nearly 4,000 km into his journey when he was hit by a truck, thrown into a ditch and left for dead. After an amazing recovery, Nick is returning to the scene of the accident this May, and completing the last 922 km of his run. He will be raising money for the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation and for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust in the UK. “I made the decision to return to the US last September, after running 157 km to support the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation. This was my longest run since the accident. I had no idea if my body would be able to do it, but it did me proud and confirmed that returning to the US to finish the run was actually possible. “I am currently running around 150 km a week and spending time in the gym each day to strengthen my core.
8 Better Breathing
“I’ve slowed down a bit, and my running gait has changed, but it is amazing how the human body adapts and compensates. I have developed a strong connection with Mount Victoria, Thorndon Hill and the Brooklyn Wind Turbine, and love the elevation challenge. This will be invaluable when I tackle Pennsylvania, which is more mountainous than Ohio and New Jersey. I plan to remain at 150 km a week through February, but will increase this in March and April. I never believed I would be running these distances 3 years ago. “The possibility of reaching the Atlantic Ocean five years after I started at the Pacific Ocean really excites me. I never contemplated giving up on the dream after the hit and run, despite the many setbacks and multiple surgeries. I have no idea how I’ll feel on the morning of 30 May, when I start at the site of the hit and run. However, I will be surrounded with so many incredible people. My support crew, Jim and Paul, will be at my side. Doctors and physios who put me back together in 2017 and worked with me to get me walking again will also be running with me at the start. Bringing everyone together at the same time will be an incredible experience and this fills my heart with so much joy. “I have no doubt that running past the actual site of the hit and run will be hard. I could never imagine something like this ever happening. But I am grateful for a second chance. Yes, I still get afraid, but I will not let fear stop me. My family and close friends remind me of how far I’ve come, not how many kilometres I have left. “I believe the reality of what I’m trying to do will hit home on day 4 or 5. In 2017, the novelty of running across the US completely disappeared at the end of the first week and the head games began. I am mentally strong, but it will be so important that I listen to my body. There have been many times over the past few years that I have so wanted to go back and change the beginning of the run and do things differently.
