We protect what we love

FRIDAY . 18 . 06 . 21 .

Hello everyone 😊

My name is Lena Charles and I am a proud Yorta Yorta/Gunai Kurnai woman born and raised on Yorta Yorta Country in Shepparton, Victoria but have been living in Melbourne on Wurundjeri Country for the last ten or so years.

I am the Head of Impact at Clothing The Gaps Foundation. I am also graduate #103 of the Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP).

Clothing the Gaps Foundation is an Aboriginal Led Not for Profit with a passion to adding years to Aboriginal peoples lives. I’m so incredibly grateful to work in a space that has allowed me to grow and be the best version of myself so I can create those ripple effects in Community. My goal within my work and Community is to always continue to be super relatable. I like to remind everyone that whilst I have conquered running 42.2km at midnight in Alice Springs, I also had to start somewhere and that I once too never thought I could run.

My running journey somewhat started back in 2016 when my best friend Bonnie and I travelled to America to surprise her sister Cinta completing the New York City marathon with the Indigenous Marathon Project. The atmosphere was insane and I remember being incredibly proud of all that Cinta had achieved in her six months of training. Being twenty kilos heavier than today, I also remember thinking there is no way in history that I would ever be fit enough to run that far! Yet, I thought I’d give running a go and see what happens. I was too embarrassed to run in public, so I use to run in the bush behind my Pop’s house. Back then I couldn’t run a 1km. I’d listen to my iPod and run for one whole song and walk the next. I built my running up from there.

Eventually I ran my first ever 4km running event for the Mothers Day Classic in 2017. I couldn’t believe it. I was excited to see what was next for me in my running journey. I was finally ready to start applying for IMP. I spent the next couple of years attending the trials. Each year I didn’t make it was hard. But I kept trying. I even ran my first half marathon in between. On my third try out for IMP I was finally accepted into the squad alongside 15 other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across the Country.

Then COVID-19 hit. Everything changed. Usually in IMP you get the chance to fly around the country and run in multiple events alongside your squad with the chance to go to New York and run your first marathon. Instead I spent the 6 months getting to know my squad through Zoom and running alone in the streets of Broadmeadows, Melbourne. Then came the harsh lockdown in Melbourne where it meant I couldn’t run for more than 2 hours. That was hard! I was supposed to be clocking up 25km runs on the weekend. I started to doubt myself if I would be prepared enough for my first marathon.

With the harsh lockdown, I made the decision to fly to Darwin and complete quarantine so I could finally meet my squad in person and run our first marathon together in Alice Springs. Training for a marathon in quarantine in the Darwin heat in October was new and very weird. I spent mornings waking up at 3am to beat the sun and complete 25km long runs in 800m loops around the quarantine facility. Talk about challenging your mind, body and spirit. But I did it. 2 weeks, 113km and 141 laps later!

Standing at the start line of my first marathon in Alice Springs at 10pm was something I’ll hold onto forever. Most people worry about making sure they see the finish line, but I had spent the last 6 months wondering if I will even see the start line. Running at midnight on Arrernte country was special. I had a tough run. I was nauseous from the 17km mark and had to fight everything within me not to throw up. The dry heat in Alice made me so thirsty. I’ve never known thirst like that before. But I pushed on.

My most memorable moments were being with my squad and also having my best friend Bonnie jump in at the 34km mark when I’d hit the wall and run 5km with me. Something I’d never had got to cherish if I was running amongst the crowd in New York. Crossing the finish line and being welcomed as graduate #103 by my coach and Rob DeCastella at 3:21am will be one of my most unforgettable experiences.

I never envisioned my IMP year to look the way it did. It was interesting to say the least. But my experience has proven that ‘if it doesn’t challenge you, it wont change you’.

To see more from Lena, you can follow her on Instagram here, and check out the awesome work the Clothing The Gaps Foundation does here. You can follow the Indigenous Marathon Project on IG here and follow the squad as they tackle the Gold Coast Marathon in a few weeks!

'HEAL COUNTRY' - VIRTUAL RUNNING EVENT

Clothing the Gaps Foundation

Lena and her team are behind the awesome 'Heal Country' Virtual running event, taking place over NAIDOC Week (July 4 - July 11). We are excited to support this fantastic cause, which encourages people to get moving and connect to Country.

You can join the For Wild Places team here, and get a discounted entry, saving you $20 clams. The money raised goes towards supporting CTG Foundation to add years to Aboriginal peoples’ lives.

Have a wonderful weekend folks.

And as always, thank you for taking the time for wild places

Lena & the For Wild Places crew.

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We acknowledge the the First Nations people who have been custodians of land, waters and culture for tens of thousands of years. We pay respects to First Nations Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the lands where this newsletter was written.

Always was, always will be.

By For Wild Places

We're a group of adventurers who love to

protect wild places we run on