What’s your connection to Wyndham?
I was born in Werribee. I’ve lived here all my life and seen a lot of changes. It’s gone from a country town to what it is now, and it’s just getting bigger and bigger. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
What was Werribee like when you were a child?
I knew every street and I would have probably known everybody. Even if I didn’t know them personally, I knew of them.
Tell me about your family.
My darling wife Helen passed away about four years ago. We met on a blind date. A friend asked me to take her out for her 21st birthday. I didn’t want to do it … but I did and three weeks later I took her out again and we were never apart after that. I knew she was the one for me. We had five children, three girls and two boys, nine granddaughters, two great- grandsons, and one great-granddaughter, and they’re all beautiful.
How did you get into running?
I’ve always played sport. I played football, I played tennis, I did some cycle racing then I stopped all sport and dedicated my life to work, work, work. I got a bit run down so I started to go for a run after work, and those runs kept getting longer and longer.
They used to have the Victorian marathon championships from the Werribee racecourse, and I wondered if I could do one of them. Twelve months later, I did.
I’ve run in 84 marathons and finished them all. I’ve also done about 20 ultra-marathons.
My biggest disappointment was not finishing the Sydney to Melbourne [run] in 1985. I got an injury early on and never got another chance to do it.
What do you think about when you’re running?
Getting to the finish line, that’s the main thing.
Do you still run now?
I want to get back to running, but I’ve got a little bit of arthritis in my spine and my physio tells me I shouldn’t run any more. He’s telling me not to do something that I love. I still go out on the bike every Tuesday, but running is still my sport. It does something for my head.
Do you have any other hobbies?
I’m a life member at the Werribee Centrals Football Club and I’ve been a volunteer there for 25 years. I’ve done just about every job you can name over there.
Where do you like to go for a coffee or meal?
Chatterbox, I’ve been going there for years. I meet a lot of friends there.
