Meet the R4R Runners #32

Fordy

Welcome to the 32nd edition of the ‘Meet the R4R Runners’ where we get to meet Fordy. The first time I saw Fordy was when I was running the Canberra Marathon and found myself in a yo-yo battle with this fella in a Raiders jersey.

I remember thinking: “not this guy again! every time I think I’ve got him, he overtakes me… and geez, strange choice of material for a running top! Go Raiders though”.

I also remember hearing about this fella that had run a minimum of 10km a day for at least 100 days in a row… and that would only be a fraction of the actual clicks he was putting down.

But when I met the bloke, I was stoked that he was now a part of the R4R community. He’s friendly, always down for a chat, and loves a laugh, which makes him an outstanding feature for those Friday morning runs and post-run coffee.

So without further ado, let’s meet Fordy!

What is your name? 

Brent Ford (Fordy)

Where are you from?

Born and bred here in Canberra.

What's your favourite thing about Canberra? (apart from R4R obviously)

As a trail runner, I like how easy it is for Canberrans to connect with nature. We have some of the best nature reserves in Australia right on our door stop, I think I read somewhere every Canberran lives 3km from a nature reserve, that's something quite special.

How did you hear about R4R and when did you first attend?

Benny A and Sambo kept getting in my ear once footy was done and dusted for the year. Made my first appearance on a Wednesday Night, October 21 last year.

What's your favourite thing about R4R?

I think my favourite thing about R4R is how inclusive it is. It doesn't matter who you are, what your background is, absolute everyone is welcome to attend. I feel that's part of the reason why it continues to grow, because anyone that attends feel like they are welcome. I've also made plenty of good friends like Murph, which I otherwise wouldn't have if I wasn't a part of R4R

Is there anything you'd like to see R4R do? 

I love the idea of an R4R 'Relay' sort of in the same vein as the Relay 4 Life, except instead of running around a track for 24 hours, we as a community run the 6km (or however far you want to run, walk, jog or skip) and see how many loops we can do.

Could do it as a fundraiser for a charity, or even just do it as an awareness project for R4R.

Have you ever run a marathon before? If so, how'd you go? 

I have. My first was at the Canberra one a few years back, I ran in a Raiders jersey because I promised the Black Dog Institute I would do it (was a special edition one). I was going well until I realised, I'd under fuelled and then cramped from the 26km mark, was stoked to finish under 5 hours.

A few weeks later I backed up at the Kowen Winter Marathon and made the cut off time by 13 minutes. That was my first introduction to the trails, and I've loved them ever since.

Completed Stromlo 50km earlier this year despite some injury concerns. I'd say to anyone who doesn't think they can do a marathon to give it a crack. It's one of the best highs in running finishing a long-distance event.

As someone who previously tipped the scales at 140kg, I would've called you crazy for thinking I would do a marathon ever.

Are you planning on taking part in any races or events soon?

I've got Bright 4 Peaks which is a four-day event over Melbourne Cup Weekend taking down 4 of the best Mountains in Victoria.

Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko 100km. I waited too long to get a 50km entry, so the FOMO got me hard.

And early next year I've got The Archie in the Victorian High Country which I'm really looking forward to, so I'll be a busy boy in training.

Which three people (alive or dead) would you like to run 6km with?

Courtney Dauwalter - she's probably the only runner with a beer sponsor, but Courtney has also broken the mould. She is an epic trail runner who just won Hardrock. I'd love to do a trail then tuck into some burgers and beers with Court.

Harvey Lewis - He's a vegan ultra-runner who previously held the record for backyard ultra-running after winning Big's Backyard last year. He's a school teacher who incorporates his training in with being an educator, I'd pick his brain on finding the right balance.

Eliud Kipchoge - Just to say I got to run with arguably the greatest distance runner of all-time.

What does resilience mean to you?

Resilience for me is when you encounter a set back and your resilience is measured by how long it takes you to bounce back from that set back.

When you look back on the hardest moment/s in your life, is there anything you wish you could have told yourself? 

I think when I ended a long-term relationship that I thought was going to last for the rest of my life I was in a dark place. But when I realised how toxic that relationship had been, I wish I could go back and tell myself at the time that sometimes the best decisions we make aren't always going to be the easiest ones to execute.

While it seems tough now, life isn't always going to be like this. There are better days ahead and speaking about your experiences and feelings with friends will be one of the best things that you will do.

Unreal, Fordy. Cheers!