Running mates: Suzie Hoitink and Rob de Castella.
One of Canberra’s most prominent and successful businesswomen will take on the New York City Marathon on 5 November in support of world champion marathon runner, Rob de Castella’s Indigenous running program.
Founder and director of ‘Clear Complexions’, Suzie Hoitink and her team have been pounding the pavement to raise funds for, and awareness of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF), a health promotion charity de Castella established in 2009.
The IMF umbrellas four key programs and one of those is the Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP), for which Suzie is the 2017 Corporate Ambassador.
Suzie’s team joined the thousands of entrants in Sydney’s City to Surf race in August and now she is preparing for her New York run.
Known by many within the industry as The Skin Expert, Suzie is passionate about overall health, and has run triathlons alongside her husband Alex, and two daughters.
The Sydney City to Surf preparation was the third of four IMP camps. A team of Clear Complexions employees led by Suzie, joined the IMP team to promote its message and encourage others to support the life-changing Foundation.
Suzie is paying her own way to the New York City Marathon but she is seeking donations from the public to help her raise $50,000, which is the equivalent cost of sending one IMF squad to New York.
Through the IMP, each year a group of 12 young Indigenous Australian (six men and six women) aged 18 to 30, from regional, remote and city Indigenous communities nation-wide aim to conquer the New York City Marathon with just six months of training. Most have no, or very little, running experience.
Education is a compulsory component of the IMP and all squad members are required to complete a Certificate IV in Sport and Recreation, CPR, sports first-aid training, and media training to be eligible for final qualification to run in New York. These qualifications provide the skills, knowledge, and experience to enable the runners to return to their communities as IMP graduates to drive change and continue the IMP ripple effect across the country.
At the beginning of 2017, the IMP had 65 Graduates (‘FrontRunners’) who have finished an international marathon and now are beacons of inspiration for their families, communities and the nation.
The New York City Marathon is iconic for being the most challenging marathon in the world, which is why the IMP specifically focuses on the event – to push these Indigenous Australians outside their comfort zone to achieve beyond their imagination.
Donations can be made at https://footprints.gofundraise.com.au/page/runsuzierun
Loading ...
