Despite being an elite sportsman for nearly 20 years, the inaugural Adelaide Crows captain Chris McDermott doesn’t like to run.
But now, at 60, he’s about to undertake one of his greatest challenges, the TCS New York Marathon.
“I’m a reluctant runner and have been for as long as I can remember,” Chris McDermott said.
“I can’t run and talk.
“I can’t run and do anything.
“I have to concentrate and focus on the distance.
“And no matter whether it’s 3k, 5k, and the most I’ve ever done is 10K.
“I’ve never done any further.
“I find it challenging.”
McDermott has been to the New York event several times as part of his role as chairman of the Little Heroes Foundation, the charity he co-founded 28 years ago.
Hundreds of runners over those years have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for kids in need but Chris has never been one of them. His wife Jo, another non-runner, even did it back in 2009
“I’ve always managed to avoid running, but that time has come to an end,” Chris said.
“I’ve just turned 60, so one of my promises was I’m gonna have an active 60th year and it started with agreeing to do the New York Marathon.”
The married father of two will just sneak in. The 2024 event occurs on November 3, just one day before his 61st birthday.
“I guess the beauty of the charity and being involved in that world, you just suck it up because you think of all the people that you’ve met along the way and the challenges and tragedies that they’ve had, running a marathon in comparison is nothing,” Chris said.
“So, you know, it’s just one of those things we just shut up and do it.”
Little Heroes has raised $40 million for charity since 1997 and the team of 10 that are going to the New York Marathon this year hopes to raise $75,000 to help fund research into childhood dementia.
About 2,500 Australian kids are currently living with the disease and many of them won’t live beyond 10 years old.
“It’s the first time Little Heroes has been involved in research, but we think for this cause and at this time it’s really important that we try and find a breakthrough and give the families some hope,” Chris said.
Every year Little Heroes partners with Adventure Time Travel (ATT) for both entry into the popular event and all the group’s travel requirements.
And Chris says it was ATT’s founder and owner Anna Liptak who finally convinced him to give the New York Marathon a go.
“She’s been taking our group for years and they’ve been loving it,” Chris said.
“And Anna said to me, “Come on, you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to do it.” And I’d said no for so long, I couldn’t say no anymore.”
To make things that little bit harder for the 354 game SANFL/AFL great he’ll be running without a couple of important stabilisers.
Chris, a diabetic, lost two toes on his right foot to a diabetes related infection on Friday the 13th of December in 2019.
“My blood sugar was at 40 when it should be at 6, so I was in a really dangerous place but I wasn’t bedridden,” Chris said.
“I could get up and move around, I just felt ordinarily and I’d forgotten about nicking my toes (with nail clippers)
“They rushed me into hospital, put me on the bed.
“The doctor looked at me, couldn’t work out what was going on, said get all your gear off and took my socks off.
“It’s the last thing I did and my middle two toes were black as the ace of spades.
“And so they whacked me straight into surgery, ripped them off and I was in hospital for a month with an open wound….
“There was a chance that I was going to lose the entire foot because the infection had gone up to the ankle.
“This is all in 48 hours. It just moved so fast.
“So it turned out to be a good story and a good result at the end.
“We lost a couple of toes and, you know my balance isn’t fantastic but it’s good enough and away you go.”
Chris also points out the missing toes aren’t to blame for his running style.
“It doesn’t feel like I can’t run, it doesn’t feel like I’m restricted in any way,” Chris said.
“If anyone ever witnesses me running, if they’re driving past the North Adelaide area and see me waddling around the place, that’s my normal running style.
“I make no apologies for it…I can’t blame the toes.”
Chris will also be running with his friend John Mannion from the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation.
John is the organisation’s CEO, and is one of 10 runners raising awareness and money for mental health research.
“I love the work he does and at least we’ll be able to rattle along together, raise some money along the way, enjoy the celebration afterwards and raise some good coin for both foundations.”
The two groups have already teamed up to create the Big Talks for Little People program which is aimed at helping six to 12 year olds understand the importance of mental health.
Chris is aiming to finish the marathon in under six hours and is hoping his experience on the 42.2 kilometre journey is as memorable as his wife’s.
“Jo’s pushed me to do it, she says I’m mad if I don’t and for her, a non -runner to run the time she did (4.45) and to be able to enjoy, it’s a great memory for her,” Chris said.
https://newyorkmarathon2024.gofundraise.com.au/
https://nymarathon2024.breakthroughfoundation.org.au/t/teamchelsea
