The Runner!

A tale of Passion, Grit, and Survival of overcoming the curve ball of life…

Through my photography I am exploring different styles or genres and this is helping me  to better know myself. This means extending my ability to think creative, to conceptualise how to organise a shoot and execute it, while also pushing me to know my gear better and experiment. But most importantly, for me, it’s been a personal journey with emotional attachments. 

So with Nick, it was just that, an intertwining of professional and personal journeys. I met Nick in early 2021, and prior to Nick joining as Professor in Marketing at the university, I was constantly told how amazing he was to work with.

Shortly after Nick joined, I contacted him to understand how I could support him in my role as a Learning Designer and in that initial meeting, I could see why some of the staff in the school where raving about Nick. He told me about the courses he would be teaching and me, with my usual enthusiasm shared what could be done to support him, my own ideas but also ideas that had been implemented in other courses. Over the next few months, across the different courses Nick taught, we made enhancements, Nick gave me the opportunity to do quite a bit of media related content development to engage students. I was impressed with how Nick used to take on board any suggestions, prepare and be ready each time we went to shoot these bite sized videos. 

When Nick arrived, to my pleasant surprise it was not remotely related to work. He shared about his family, his journey and the loss of his mother to pulmonary fibrosis. I got to know a side of him which I did not know while working with him in my pervious role at the university. Nick talked  about his incomplete journey ‘Run across America’. I was shocked listening to what had happened to him on the run and horrified at how he lay in a ditch after being hit by a vehicle for nearly an hour before State Troopers found him.What a fighting spirit and incredible resiliency. 

Gobsmacked not knowing what to say, I could only ask how I could help or support his renewed plan to go back to the very place that nearly took his life to complete what he started. He asked me if I could take some photos and record some videos to support him completing his run across America alongside photos to showcase his sponsors. Now I was stumped or stunned as I was not sure if I could even do it, as I had never done this type of work.

At this moment my mind was on the a renewal of a relationship but the actual feeling was that I was in awe of Nick, trusting me enough to open up to this intense memory of total vulnerability   while putting his faith and trust in me as an individual. It was so intense that I questioned my mental and emotional maturity, could I empathise and engage appropriately? (only Nick can answer this.). 

For me being part of social causes is not new, from my early teens, I remember how my parents involved me and my brother in the various social causes they were part of while we lived abroad and later when we moved back to Bharat. So being part of creating awareness and change was not new but a rekindling of devoting time to a cause. 

This meeting has now ushered us down a path over the last 20 months, where we meet and talk and I am still learning about Nick, his life, his family, faith and passion, all the things driving him and the connections he makes with others around him.. 

Nick once again challenged  the boundaries of not just mental but physical endurance through a 48 hour run in September 2023. Stopping every so often to have a quick bite and have his vital signs checked by some amazing paramedics. Running in my runnings shoes is tough but how crazy it was to learn that on the fist night one of the amazing paramedics ran with Nick in their work boots…mind boggling!!!  These amazing individuals ensured this human being called ‘Nick’ was able to achieve a remarkable feat breaking his own record for a 24 hour run around wellington just two years prior in 2021.  

Through his running he has brought me on a journey of his life, and I have met some wonderful and fascinating people. His journey has opened doors, not only to his world, but the world of many others through his contagious energy. It’s not just about the cause for which he runs but also about the people who have been part of this journey and continue to be part of Nick’s journeys. 

Just 7 months on from his 48 hour run, Nick is embarking on a new journey, this time a run across Australia from Perth to Sydney in 70 days to raise funds for respiratory research. His determination, his perseverance, his motivation and focus is undeterred but it makes me wonder what other journeys await not just him, but the people around him, who are also going to be part of it and touched by him. 

Once again for this run across Australia, Nick has invited me to be part of the run in person and also encouraged me to think about how I could contribute by photographing the journey and the landscapes across the Nullarbor Plains. As I have said before, for Nick it is not only about his journey but it is also about the journey of others and their passion. 

I think the place is still open for me to hop on the support bus but this time around, I am not able to make this magnificent journey, though at times I do feel I should take time from work and GO! to do something very different and be part of a unique experience. However, I have been given the opportunity by Nick to make a small contribution through him inviting me to do some promotional photography, taken around Shelly Bay Road, Miramar. We have taken photographs for his sponsors and created a video to introduce a bit of humour to his supporting collateral, see “funny runs”. Thank you Nick, as always, from the early days of working together on your courses, for providing me the space to experiment and for being patient as I try different things.

At this juncture, I would kindly request if you can, please consider donating towards respiratory research. If you are curious and would like to follow Nick’s journey across the Australian continent, you can do so through his webpage Nick Runs Australia - 2024.

I would also like to put out a call to any animators and or short film makers as many of us including Nick are keen to share his journey with a wider audience to give them a motivation to pursue what is close to their hearts through his own life journey of running. We are interested to see how his story can reach not just adults but younger generations to understand how to pursue their passions.

I would also like to give due credit to my lovely friend who has helped me shape this blog and taken on the role as an editor Julie Watson.