In March, Elias participated in his very first marathon!
Improving health and fitness has been an ongoing personal goal for Elias, a Team Leader at OCC Enterprises. When he heard that his supervisor, Lilian, planned to run the Good Friday Appeal’s Run for the Kids marathon, he decided it would be an excellent opportunity to “do something different”.
With the encouragement of coworkers at OCCE, his family and friends, Elias registered and trained for the marathon.
It’s a huge commitment – the run itself was almost 5km, and he had to wake up at 3.30am to get ready in time.
But Elias was determined to try something new in his physical wellbeing journey.
Elias is a walker – he loves to take long strolls along the beaches in Brighton and St Kilda, which gave him a perfect headstart for marathon training. He amped up his walking and running, and soon noticed his fitness increasing.
On the day of the marathon, the weather was warm and sunny. Many runners were dressed up in fun outfits, tutus and superhero costumes, and performers on stilts made the event one to remember. Although Lilian and Elias were on separate courses, they both got to run on the Bolte Bridge and take in the beautiful views of Melbourne.
During the marathon, Elias switched between walking and running to ensure he maintained his stamina.
Everyone who participated in the marathon was supportive and encouraging of their fellow runners, giving the event a wholesome community feel.
Elias is already planning to run the marathon again next year, potentially with a small team from OCC Enterprises. He’s been planting seeds and getting his friends excited to participate in the run with him, and he might even dress up for charity!
Elias and Lilian waited after the marathon to meet several well-known Australian presenters, including Abby Holmes and Matt Shevington. It was an exciting way to end a long, adrenaline-fueled day.
Elias is already planning to run the marathon again next year, potentially with a small team from OCC Enterprises. He’s been planting seeds and getting his friends excited to participate in the run with him, and he might even dress up for charity!
“It was fun… I’ll do it again next year in March.”
It’s incredible to see our Supported Employees work towards and achieve their goals.
Thank you to Elias and Lilian for telling us your story – we can’t wait to hear about next year’s marathon too!
