ON November 15 last year, Judy Batterham lost her battle with cancer.
Her grief-stricken husband, David, carries the pain every day.
To help ease that pain, David runs – and smiles broadly as he pounds the bitumen, knowing he’s helping the organisations that were there for Judy during her battle with neuroendocrine tumours.
David, from Goondiwindi and originally Moree, was in his former hometown last weekend, taking part in Run the Plains to raise money for cancer research in Judy’s memory.
“Jude was afflicted with a rare form of cancer and was 57 when she died,” David said.
His approach last weekend was a little different to mainstream runners at Moree’s newest signature event.
David pushed a pink wheelbarrow and wore a pink hospital gown – and a smile – as he charged past cheering spectators.
Through it all, the smile never left his face, and neither did the memories of Judy.
When the run was over, and the wheelbarrow was parked up, he was still smiling.
All money raised through his Run the Plains participation will be donated to Toowoomba Base Hospital.
“If someone wants to go for a ride in the wheelbarrow, it will cost them,” David laughed.
“Everyone who donates, gets to sign the wheelbarrow as well, and the wheelbarrow and pink gown gets to stay at the hospital, so everyone can see what marvellous and generous people we have in rural areas like Goondiwindi and Moree.
“Using the wheelbarrow is a novel idea, I suppose, and it helps raise awareness as well,” he said.
David is no stranger to raising money for good causes.
Two years ago he jumped on a pushbike and pedalled more than 2000km from Goondiwindi to Mount Isa to raise money and awareness for dementia.
The previous year, he rode a similar distance from Griffith to Goondiwindi, rain-sodden most of the way, and raised $7500 for Dementia Australia, including a $1000 donation from Goondiwindi Apex Club.
The same year, he pushed a wheelbarrow 70km from Boggabilla to Croppa Creek, and raised $80,000 with each turn of the wheel.
“All money raised on the Croppa Creek run went to Kaloma, our aged care home in Goondiwindi, and they we able to buy a new bus,” David said.
David parked up the wheelbarrow after participating in Run the Plains at the weekend, but the rest will be short-lived.
This weekend, he’s planning a 40km wheelbarrow run from Goombungee, north-west of Toowoomba, to Toowoomba Base Hospital.
“We’ll try and do the parkrun at Highfields on the way through and do a lap around Queen’s Park if the weather is nice and fine,” David said.
“All up, the entire run will be between 40 and 50km, and all money raised will go to the Regional Cancer Centre.”
David aims to raise $5000. Donations can be made at The Bloke from Gundy Wheelbarrow Run.
“If people want to donate directly to the hospital, I’m more than happy with that. They don’t have to make a donation through me. As long as it gets to the hospital, that’s all that matters,” David said.
Next year, David has his sights set even higher – much higher.
“I plan to do something similar from Toowoomba to Brisbane, and around this time next year, I’ll also be riding from Adelaide to Goondiwindi – a 3000km bike ride.
“I’ll stop in Moree and do a fundraiser for the cancer support group here in town as well,” he said.
