A young kiwi bloke is putting himself to the test, running the length of Aotearoa in 18 days.
Blake Schimanski has taken on the challenge of running from Bluff to Cape Reinga - a distance of just over 2000km.
Through his campaign ‘Run Aotearoa’, he aims to raise $100,000 for NZ charity ‘I Am Hope’, which does important work in the youth mental health space, with a goal to create "positive societal attitudinal change".
Sadly, in 2018, Schimanski lost a friend due to mental health, making this run really important to him. He wants to inspire others to talk openly about mental health and help raise funds for those in need.
To honor his late friend, his campaign has the hashtag ‘#never4get’ attached to it.
This challenge would mean on average 110 kilometers a day. Schimanski will need to draw on a different part of himself to make this possible.
Talk about a bloody backbone.
This isn't Schimanski’s first rodeo. In 2023, he ran the Taupo Ultramarathon, completing 100km in one go. During this outing, he raised $5000 for I Am Hope. He's also run several other marathons and ultramarathons.
Given he has already achieved some massive goals, it seems like he's well equipped to take this next step and push himself to the absolute max.
Schimanski has put the word out that funding is quite expensive for a run like this, so he asks for some kind of support from any sponsors/businesses that are available and willing to help.
He's made ‘Run Aotearoa’ t-shirts that can be purchased for $45 each, and the profits will go towards making this whole thing happen.
Massive congrats to Blake on an incredible goal, and we wish you all the absolute best with smashing this one out.
