Running man: Brett Spargo with children River, 8, and Billie, 5, after his first marathon in December 2021.
Seymour man Brett Spargo dons his running shoes and does his bit to support loved ones affected by cancer.
Ready for the Melbourne Marathon in two weeks, Mr. Spargo is increasing his fundraising efforts for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center.
After rediscovering running in 2016 and starting a healthy lifestyle, Mr. Spargo began the journey of putting his newfound fitness to good use.
He said after visiting Peter Mac with loved ones and seeing people living with cancer, he turned to what he could do to help.
“Seeing what the Peter Mac boys are doing was why I thought I could do more than just sit around,” he said.
Last year, when Mr. Spargo was on the verge of giving up running following the cancellation of many events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he focused his energies on running for charity and raising funds for Peter Mac.
He said Peter Mac enabled patients to access different services in one place without long waits.
“What I saw there opened my eyes. We were an hour from Melbourne, but there are people who travel three or four hours,” he said.
“It’s amazing to be able to get into a hospital, have an x-ray, a blood test and a cat scan all in one day.
“People don’t have time to wait hours in the hospital, they have to get on with their fight.”
Mr Spargo hopes the money he raises will go towards equipping regional hospitals or research into future treatments.
Besides the support of friends and family, especially his father, Mr. Spargo’s children are his main motivation.
“I felt like I have to do something for these kids and myself to get more out of life, so I owe it to my kids for pushing me to do it,” he said.
“Seeing my kids at the finish line, holding up signs and wanting to be like dad one day means the world to me.”
Mr Spargo finished last year’s Melbourne Marathon in three hours, two minutes and 58 seconds. Inspired by breaking the three-hour mark, he set his sights on this year’s marathon in two weeks.
His preparation included events like the Great Ocean Road Marathon and Run Melbourne, which he believes will benefit him for the race.
He hopes to run between two hours and 50 minutes and two hours and 55 minutes.
In addition to his goal of setting personal bests, Mr. Spargo also has a fundraising goal for the upcoming run.
“I want to hit $1000, same as my goal for Run Melbourne,” he said.
“By reaching out to the community through sports clubs and the community page, I have now raised $600 in four days.
“I love raising money for Peter Mac and will continue to do so as long as I participate in running events.”
To donate, visit https://melbmara2022.grassrootz.com/peter-maccallum-cancer-foundation/brett-spargo?tab=donations&utm_source=gr-notification&utm_campaign=DonationNotification&utm_medium=email&fbclid=IwAR0LXNleTuXTdcGHVHM5vgprOL3BdkNJh4Uvp-UWEsQIf9zhtSAUkWXRb6v or scan the QR code below.
