These runners are on a mission

These runners are on a mission

A group of men and women who have suffered appalling hardships in their lives are doing it tough in a different way this Sunday, by taking on the City2Surf.

Clients of Mission Australia are entering the annual 14km marathon from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach for the second year running.

A group of 12 homeless people aged between 20 and 50 will be running in ‘Team Mission Australia’ and have been hitting the gym hard in the months leading up to the event.

Sami Haddad, 24, is looking forward to making it to the finish line after suffering a stroke a year and a half ago, which paralysed one side of his body.

His first time competing in Australia’s most famous fun run, Haddad’s recovery has amazed his therapists and he is now walking normally.

Runner Adam Reynolds was lucky enough to jog alongside Miss World Australia runner-up, Sonia Lipski, last year, and has been impatient to challenge himself again this year.

“It was just such an inspiration, it just felt like I was a kid again. It really inspired me to want to come back again,” said Reynolds, who went from living in Mission Australia’s crisis centre, to more permanent housing this year.

“He’s making great progress and transforming his life into something that it hasn’t been for a very long time, and being engaged in such a fantastic social activity as the City2Surf has been a huge move for him,” said Missionbeat Services Manager Daniel Petsalis.

The group is at varied levels of homelessness, with some having just come from the street into accommodation. But Petsalis said their circumstances could change very quickly: “Although they might be in accommodation now, next week or the week after they may be back on the street.”

New Balance has donated joggers to the runners, who have also hit up City2Surf for some jerseys to wear on the day.

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