Latest news with #BrookeMcIntosh
News.com.au
21 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Unsettling': 28yo runner reveals problem she is facing everywhere in Australia
Brooke McIntosh has run nearly 6000 kilometres and crossed three states, but there's one grim Aussie norm she can't physically outrun Ms McIntosh, 28, is now over three months into a 14,000-kilometre run across Australia, averaging 80km a day with no rest days. She's doing it to raise money for the mental health charity The Blue Tree Project and has raised over $100,000, but she's also facing a constant onslaught of catcalling. 'These incidents can be unsettling,' she told 'They sometimes make me feel unsafe, especially when I'm alone. However, I focus on my mission and try not to let these moments deter me.' The 28-year-old runner said she deals with unsolicited and objectifying comments all the time and, at best, they are annoying, and at worst, they are scary. There was a situation earlier in the run where an unknown car followed Ms McIntosh for about 20 minutes on a freeway. 'It was a sobering reminder to always stay alert and trust my instincts,' she said. She's been catcalled so frequently that there are almost too many to mention, but some comments stay with her 'One that stands out is when someone yelled, 'Oi, darling, you have a stunning figure and tight arse',' she said. 'These kinds of remarks can shatter the peace and purpose I'm out there chasing. For me, running is about clarity, connection, and raising awareness for mental health - not being reduced to my body by a stranger.' Ms McIntosh stressed that she doesn't just have bad encounters with men on her run; in fact, she's also had some extremely positive ones. 'This run has shown me both ends of the spectrum. One day, a truck driver struck a very provocative pose and asked if I wanted a lift up the road,' she said. 'I told him I was running around Australia to raise awareness for mental health, and that ended the exchange. 'But not long after, I met another truckie who pulled over for a chat. During our conversation, he shared that he'd recently opened up to a pub mate about personal struggles. That conversation led him to see a doctor.' Ms McIntosh said she loves chatting with people as long as they are respectful. 'The contrast between those two encounters speaks volumes. It's a reminder that while some comments can be inappropriate and demeaning, others (that are) rooted in openness and vulnerability - can be life-changing,' she said. But the unwanted attention she does get means she is always very conscious of her own personal safety on her travels. 'Safety is absolutely everything out here. I don't wear headphones so I can stay fully alert, every sound, every vehicle, every step matters,' she explained. 'There's a lot that goes into keeping each day as safe as possible. It's not just about the route. It is how we co-ordinate with people who want to join me, how we screen individuals, and how we manage unexpected situations.'
ABC News
13-05-2025
- ABC News
Brooke McIntosh eyes running record as she laps Australia for Blue Tree Project
"Just one more breath, just one more day and just one more conversation" is the mantra Brooke McIntosh repeats to herself as she edges closer to becoming the fastest woman to run continuously around Australia. The 29-year-old entrepreneur has been running at least 80 kilometres a day — the equivalent of about two marathons — since she left her home town of Perth on March 3. She is on a mission to complete a 14,080km lap of the country in 180 days while raising $1.4 million for mental health charity the Blue Tree Project. Ms McIntosh has already crossed the Nullarbor, been through Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and is weaving through the Illawarra until she reaches Sydney's Coogee Beach by late Wednesday. "It's beautiful out here," Ms McIntosh told ABC Illawarra Breakfast while running through Wollongong on Tuesday. Deborah De Williams was the first woman to complete a non-stop run of Australia, finishing the 18,026km journey in 408 days. Ms McIntosh is hoping to crush that record, as well as a Guinness World Record, by completing the feat with no full rest days. She will have run for almost 70 consecutive days by the time she reaches Sydney but says her body is well-adjusted. "The first four weeks was like, 'What are you doing to me?'" Ms McIntosh said. "[Now] it's like, 'This is what we're doing — running around Australia to raise awareness about mental health every day.'" In 2022, Nedd Brockmann burst into the public consciousness by running the width of Australia from Perth to Bondi. He clocked up 3,800km in 47 days and raised $2.5 million for homelessness charity Mobilise. What Ms McIntosh has set out to achieve is another level of endurance at almost five times the distance and duration. But like Brockmann she finds great pride in pushing her body to the limit. "It's insane, but for me, it's all just one more step or conversation," Ms McIntosh said. Ms McIntosh has grappled with mental health challenges from a young age and chose to become an advocate following a near-fatal truck accident three years ago. "I just don't want anyone to experience the depths of darkness alone," she said. "I believe if we have courage to have just one more conversation, we realise that a problem shared is a problem halved and that the world is a beautiful place." The Blue Tree Project is an initiative that aims to encourage people to have tough conversations about mental health. The charity has painted more than 1,300 trees bright blue as a symbol for change. Ms McIntosh said she had received a great response during the run. "Some people just pull over on the highway for a quick yarn … the community [support] is insane," she said. After she rests her feet overnight in Sydney, Ms McIntosh will continue her journey into Queensland and the Northern Territory before arriving back in Perth by late August.
