In its 13th year, the Indigenous Marathon Project was created by the Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF), a health promotion charity that uses running to celebrate Indigenous resilience and achievement and create inspirational Indigenous leaders.
Post IMP and post-marathon, graduates commit to continue their journey to have a significant impact on advancing Indigenous Australia.
NITV Radio caught up with Morgan Lane, Hayley Pymont and Jam Graham-Blair, 3 members of the squad of 10 at their training camp shortly before their departure to New York and Athens.
Morgan Lane an Arrernte woman from Mparntwe (Alice Springs) revealed that she learned about IMF’s marathon project about 2 years ago when she wanted to embark on a healthier way of living.
That first contact with the IMF led her to join the foundation’s running exercises, once a week on Thursday afternoons. Last year, she applied for the full marathon program but was knocked back.
Morgan reapplied again earlier this year, successfully this time; trained hard with the squad and has qualified to compete in the Athens marathon on Sunday November 13.
“What I would like to do after my marathon is go back home and really get involved with my community to encourage more women, especially those that are my age that I can see that they are not active, they are not moving, and I know the benefits of it. So, if I can encourage that in my community and create a safe place where people feel comfortable to come for a walk, come for a run or whatever it might be; maybe they want to ride a bike…” Morgan Lane says.
“I also want to work with prisons and rehabilitation centres for people coming off drugs and alcohol, to give them some sort of routine and something to work with in that recovery phase.”
Hayley Pymont is a Wiradjuri woman who was born and raised in the Illawarra region in NSW. She says she joined the marathon project hesitantly earlier this year prior to an aborted project to move to New Zealand. A sports aficionado already involved in soccer and athletics, Hayley had no difficulty being accepted in the marathon program at her first attempt.
Like other participants in the program, after the New York marathon she’ll embark on a path to improve healthy living and wellness in the community.
“My plan is to get involved in the community addressing mental health and bullying. I'd also like to work in suicide prevention and create change in these areas,” Hayley Pymont says.
Jam Graham-Blair from Lutriwita (Tasmania) comes from a family that’s very strong on culture. His family are martin birders. He says that martin birding is a massive source of cultural food for his people. He wants to use the running and education program to showcase the strength and resilience of his people.
Jam’s efforts to improve his fitness started in March last year when he went martin birding for the first time. He quickly realised that he wasn’t fit enough to become a successful martin birder like his uncles, grandfathers, and ancestors before him.
Hence, he decided to make changes to his lifestyle, started going to the gym and quit smoking. While on this journey to a better shape, a former graduate of the marathon project introduced him to the program.
“I’m now using this platform to show the strength of my people, because there is still that ongoing myth that my people are extinct. I'd like to use this platform to proudly, visually, and vocally show the world that we are not only just here surviving, but we are also thriving,” Jam Graham-Blair says.
IMF provides the opportunity for IMP graduates to access grants to establish running and fitness groups, establish their own business, and/or undertake personal, professional career development courses. Applications for the 2023 intake open mid-December.
