Kiwi Blake Schimanski has just completed running the entire length of Aotearoa in just 28 days to raise money for the I Am Hope foundation in memory of his late friend Shaun.
The 24-year-old set himself the challenge of running over 2000km from Bluff to Cape Reinga to honour his mate, raise money for charity and inspire others to talk openly about mental health.
Schimanski tragically lost his mate, Shaun, to a mental health battle back in 2018. The loss of Shaun motivated Schimanski to take on the task and raise money and awareness.
The start of his challenge started on the 31st of March, just one day after what would’ve been Shaun’s 24th birthday.
By the end of the first week, the young runner had covered 521.96 km, even after unfortunately developing tendonitis in both of his ankles.
Schimanski managed to complete the South Island by day 13 with almost 950 km under his belt.
The North Island would put up a tougher fight, as he had to deal with knee problems, bad weather and exhaustion, but he powered on.
“We’re starting to learn to take advantage of the highs and dig deep through the lows. Chur,” he wrote on Instagram.
By day 22, he had reached his hometown of Auckland and was supported by friends and family as he ran through.
On day 28, he reached the finish line in Cape Reinga, managing to run 2,090 km all on foot. So far, he has raised almost $40,000 for the I Am Hope foundation.
Schimanski was supported by his family throughout the 28-day run, who were up at dusk to get him ready for the days ahead, which usually started at around 5 am and ended at 10 pm.
“Couldn’t have asked for a better crew, putting up with me and putting everything on hold for a month to help me run the length of Aotearoa,” Schimanski wrote.
He celebrated his achievement with a Double Brown shoey.
Photo Credit: SunLive
