With the mantra “just one more”, Brooke has taken to the road for 180 days to run right around Australia.
On April 30, the 29-year-old kicked off her current 820km stretch in Yarra Park, on her way to Wollongong.
Over the past few weeks she has seen the sights the region has to offer, making her way through the Mitchell Shire on the side of the Hume Fwy.
Brooke’s mission is to prove that mental health is no joke.
By starting “just one more” conversation, Brooke hopes to pave the way to a more supportive atmosphere for those affected.
Brooke said that her own experience has pushed her to pursue this massive feat.
“My own battles with mental health and surviving a near-fatal car accident in 2022 ignited a fire within me,” she said.
“I realised the power of resilience and the importance of turning pain into purpose.
“Running became my therapy, and now, it’s my platform to advocate for mental health awareness.”
In 2023, Brooke undertook a 1600km solo run from Pilbara to Perth, raising $75,000 for mental health support.
This time, Brooke wanted to push herself even further, with no rest days allowed, to become the youngest and fastest woman to run the entire circumference of the country.
“I hope to inspire individuals to embrace the ‘just one more’ mindset — whether it’s one more conversation, one more step, or one more act of kindness,” Brooke said.
“It’s about recognising that small actions can lead to significant change, especially in the realm of mental health.”
While Brooke’s actions are far from small, her purpose of changing the narrative of mental health awareness has well and truly kicked off.
Not only is she well on her way to raising $1.4 million for the Blue Tree Project, Brooke has amassed an Instagram following of over 18,000 people, spreading her message to a growing audience.
Reflecting on her time in regional Victoria, she said one of her highlights was in Euroa.
“Running through Victoria has been wild,” Brooke said.
“Locals with signs, cars honking, runners jumping in — even in the freezing cold.
“The support made me forget how wrecked I was.
“It was great running through Euroa Primary School with the principal, and an extremely warm welcome from the students.”
Brooke also said being able to run beside her brother Kamdyn, a Richmond footy player whom she hadn’t seen in a while, was a moment that made Victoria “feel like home”.
Although the journey has been “both physically and emotionally taxing”, Brooke said “each step is a testament to human resilience”.
To keep up to date with the rest of Brooke’s journey as she makes her way through towns across the country, head to tinyurl.com/kmhce4p8
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