A 350-kilometre run and a $100,000 fundraising target: Big goals, but Parkes-based beauty therapist Rebecca Miller is determined to smash both.
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Ms Miller is planning to run from Parkes to the Children's Hospital, Westmead to raise funds for four charities close to her heart, as pat of her Ripples of Kindness Project.
After more than 12 months of planning the run was scheduled for July before the COVID-19 pandemic pushed her starting point back until September.
As gyms closed their doors for two months, Ms Miller had to get innovative with not just her training but also maintaining her mindset to keep going.
As the owner of three beauty salons across NSW, Ms Miller's businesses have also been affected by COVID-19 and she has been balancing her commitment to The Ripple of Kindness with keeping the salons afloat.
She aims to raise $100,000 by running 350km run from Parkes to Westmead to support Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer, The Bandaged Bear Foundation, Leukemia Foundation and her local Can Assist team.
It's going to challenge me emotionally, mentally and physically but I have an amazing support team.
- Long-distance fundraiser Rebecca Miller
"My aim is to raise vital funds to not only assist with the research and treatment of these terrible diseases, but to help the families going through the toughest time of their lives," Ms Miller said.
Ms Miller knows first-hand the impact of being one of the 80,000 families cared for by the Sydney Children's Hospital Network each year.
"I've experienced what it's like having a sick child at Westmead. When kids are sick, parents are out of the game. Relying on the support of these foundations to help alleviate stresses is crucial."
Leaving from Parkes on September 20, the first leg of Ms Miller's mission will be the 55km run to Manildra.
From there, she'll pass through Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow and Katoomba as her rest points and recovery stations before the final stretch to Westmead.
She has undertaken an intense training and conditioning program to prepare for what will be the equivalent of running a marathon every day for a week.
"It's going to challenge me emotionally, mentally and physically but I have an amazing support team who will run beside me relay-style, so I am not running on my own," she said.
"While we're running, we'll be thinking of the beautiful children we are helping which will make this challenge so achievable."
You can donate online via The Ripple Of Kindness Project donation page and follow The Ripple Of Kindness Project on Facebook to follow Rebecca's journey.
