With the help of the NRMA, Mark Avery will be running 20 marathons in 20 days to raise much-needed funds for Gotcha4Life.
Five years ago Mark Avery lost a good friend and neighbour to cancer, leaving behind his wife and young daughter.
“One minute we were messing around passing the kids over the back fence and in a short space of time Frank was gone and we were all a bit lost.”
Mark like many men, kept it in and did what he thought was best to stay strong, but on the inside he was struggling.
“I was drinking a lot to try and cope and numb the pain which of course made it all worse. I was depressed.”
Mark eventually visited his doctor, and when asked how he was he broke down in tears. While the tension that had built up inside had been released, Mark decided to do something about it and in turn signed up for his first marathon.
“The training gave me the focus I needed to form healthier habits and put all of my energy into something positive. Training for a marathon and completing it led to a 50km marathon, which then led to a 100km, then a few more. Always with this big goal in the back of my mind.”