Let's meet Brad
Meet the R4R Runners #97
Welcome to the 97th edition of the Meet the R4R Runners. This week, we get to meet a man who’s doing great things.
You’ll hear more about it below and he’ll speak at the run tonight, but he’s another great example of what makes each of our community members amazing… their willingness to walk the walk and help make the world around them a better place.
So, without further ado, let’s meet Brad!
What is your name?
Brad Taylor
Where are you from?
Originally from the Coromandel in New Zealand
What's your favourite thing about Canberra?
The ease of access to a broad range of outdoor activities or areas to do outdoor activities.
How did you hear about R4R and when did you first attend?
Through a Lunch and Learn conducted by Ben Alexander for WorkClub.
What's your favourite thing about R4R?
The purpose - it strongly aligns to other causes I support, such as Young Veterans and Walking 4 Warriors. Being a veteran, suicide hits our community hard. Seeing Ben and the R4R team tackle this on a broader scale and for all is awesome.
What would you like to see R4R do?
Just keep raising awareness on this important topic and providing opportunities for people to get together to do healthy activities.
What's the longest you've ever run/walk?
My longest run/walk prior to Friday was 44km. It is now 140.2kms in 24 hours. This was an average pace of 10min 15sec kilometres, but that includes all stops for toileting, gear changes, body repairs, fuel and the unforeseen - which happens in 24 hours.
Are you planning on taking part in any races or events soon or are there any just gone?
On the 19th of April 2024, I took part in a 24 hour endurance challenge called Walking 4 Warriors or W4W. The event is held annually in Boyne Island, QLD however this year a small group of mostly veterans held a remote event right here in Canberra.
We started from the Australian War Memorial at 5pm, and proceeded to walk/shuffle/run laps of Lake Burley Griffin for 24 hours - finishing at The Dock in Kingston at 5pm on 20 April.
Our aim is to respect the intent to endure, by walking/shuffling almost continuously for the period. Our targets varied, but we completed between 100km and 140km within the time period.
The vision of W4W is to provide opportunities for people to participate in outdoor activities where they challenge themselves to push beyond what many perceive as normal limitations.
In doing so opening up the potential for physical, mental/emotional growth and development to prevent suicide in a vulnerable community. W4W supports Young Veterans Australia which does some incredible work keeping transitioning veterans safe - and I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of their work.
Additionally, this year it will be Gladstone Combined Services by recognising the nations first responders that put themselves in harms way for us.
Which three people (alive or dead) would you like to run or walk 6km with?
I wouldn't be a kiwi at heart if I didn't say Sir Edmund Hillary! Secondly, Captain Charles Upham who has the only combat VC & bar. And an abstract choice - Joan of Arc, although I would need to learn French to make remotely useful...
What does resilience mean to you?
Ability to fight through adversity, challenges and set-up to achieve an outcome. It is just as much about how you accept failure, as it is how you overcome it.
When you look back on the hardest moment/s in your life, is there anything you wish you could have told yourself?
Not really as I didn't know they would be the hardest moments of my life at the time. And besides, I probably wouldn't have listened to myself anyway.
ANZAC Day
Beginning at 5:30 am sharp, the dawn service will be followed by a Gunfire Breakfast at 6 am alongside Local Press cafe. A special ANZAC Day edition of Running For Resilience will then kick off at 6:15 am.
Great stuff Brad and glad you didn’t say Richie McCaw!
Wow Brad! Well done! :)