QGAir Chief Pilot Trevor Wilson has this month taken on a 42km marathon in support of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation's Virtual Run challenge.
The Indigenous Marathon Foundation was initiated in 2009 and has since grown in popularity. Entrants to the marathon are able to complete their run anywhere in Australia or the world throughout November and then have the opportunity to share their photos and experiences on social media.
Trevor said he has always run for fitness and got into marathon running in his early 50s.
"I've always run to try and stay fit, but I didn't get into the marathon side of things until my 50s," he said.
Trevor chose to run his version of this year's virtual marathon on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), home to the Quandamooka people.
"I try to run a marathon each week, so thought I may as well do it for a cause, paying tribute to the traditional land owners on Minjerribah where I spend a lot of time and to promote resilience, movement and achievement in line with the foundation's goals," Trevor said.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Trevor said training for this event has also helped him with his role in the Queensland Police Service (QPS), by taking time out for his own mental health.
Fitting in his training while working as a full-time pilot doesn't come without its challenges, however Trevor says he likes to run overnight to fit his runs in.
"I train overnight a lot of the time and usually try to pull off a marathon length run each week.
"It's something I do for myself and has really helped me with my mental health over the years, especially working in such a high pressure environment flying for QGAir, doing a lot of medical work."
Trevor was supported by Superintendent Kerry Johnson and the QPS' First Nations and Multicultural Affairs Unit who said the cultural significance of Trevor's route made it all the more meaningful.
"It's fantastic to support Trevor's efforts as he makes his way around the island for this marathon," Superintendent Johnson said.
"It's been fantastic to see Trevor complete his run and support this wonderful initiative which aims to get more First Nations people into marathon running, encouraging resilience and movement.
"We know Trevor's determination has been an inspiration to the Minjerribah community and to his colleagues as well who cheered him on."
Trevor was able to form his own 42km route around the island and enjoyed running through natural bushland after starting his run at the Amity boat ramp. Trevor made his way across the island, finishing in Dunwich with his support network.
Trevor submitted photos of his efforts to the online community created by the foundation, sharing his experience with runners across the country.
For more information about the Indigenous Foundation, visit this website: https://www.imf.org.au/imfvirtualrun/
