12 - Running for their Lives

The mind is a powerful machine! And with mental toughness you can overcome almost anything - a message we are always trying to impart to the over 27,000 tamariki and rangatahi in Graeme Dingle programmes throughout New Zealand.

One of our amazing Bay of Plenty Project K mentors and stalwart supporters, Deb Gee, is undertaking the mammoth effort of completing twelve marathons over twelve months. This feat of commitment and dedication is aiming to fundraise as much as possible to directly benefit the thousands of young people in our programmes locally and to show, through example, positive role-modelling and the power of the lessons we teach. We are calling this campaign 12 - Tekau ma Rua and we hope it will gain momentum and support through the year all over the country.

Starting in September 2020 Deb will run 12 marathons in 12 months in 12 different locations. Our ambition is to get as many people as possible to join her running their own marathon/half marathon throughout the whole of the country. If you are from a particular region, the money you raise will be returned to the region you are from so your efforts will directly support your own community.

Perhaps you have a personal goal of completing one; maybe it's a bucket list item for you; maybe you're trying to get healthy and this is a good motivation; perhaps you'd love to contribute to the community while undertaking an awesome challenge... Whatever your reasons, we want you involved.

Running isn't necessarily about natural talent; it's about training, consistency, determination and support. Your success as a runner is dependent on your ability to stay resilient and push through your barriers - mental and physical. These are all traits that our tamariki and rangatahi are taught when they participate in the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s programmes: Kiwi Can, Stars, Career Navigator and Project K.

Some of our young people are doing it tough. Things are happening in their lives that put them on the back foot and struggling just to keep it together: global issues, poverty, lack of support, low self-esteem, bullying, mental health issues, family trauma and dysfunction. Recent events have only exacerbated these issues and yet the struggle for funding has been made even harder. This is why, more than ever, we need community support.

The work we do makes a tangible difference. The success of our programmes speaks for itself - but we need your help to make sure we can continue to help young people of Aotearoa Join 12 - Tekau ma Rua and run for their lives!