The R4R Rag

Certain poddies fill my cup. There hasn’t been an R4R podcast that I haven’t enjoyed, but the ones where I see an example of people taking ownership of R4R and watering their patch of grass fills me with pride. I love this community and I love the people putting their shoulder to the wheel. Jen, Morgan, and Michael Benney couldn’t epitomise this any better. One of the reasons R4R has garnered so much momentum is because of the people taking charge.

Our weekly newsletter It’s with deep gratitude that I share my experience with ‘Careers for Resilience’ (C4R) led by the awesome Martina Lyons and Kat Terracini. I can clearly recall the moment I found out about this group, I’d just stepped off the bus at Jolimont Centre after being overseas for two months following my job being made redundant. I’d had much needed time and space away and was ready to get back into my life.

When we first came across Andrew Logan online, we knew there was something about him… and when we heard his story on the R4R podcast, that was only confirmed. The man has a way with words and a unique bravery to turn his pain into positive action for others. We were honoured to host him for a conversation after one of our recent Wednesday runs.

I don’t know where to start with this one. Tommy Herschell was recommended twice by previous guests Jake Trbojevic and Andrew Logan, so when Benny A asked Jake to put him in touch, this episode had all the makings of a good one….

There’s so much excitement around Running for Resilience at the moment. It seems as though we’re going from strength to strength and evolving consistently… and the more we grow, the more we hear from people about the importance of our community’s efforts and its impact. But when we hear about the impact, it often comes with a reminder… there are people struggling.

It seems that every year around now, Running for Resilience gets busy… From the tongue-in-cheek joys of administration, to the genuine joys of R4Rs continuous evolution. Everything seems to bottleneck towards the last third of the year… and after experiencing this for near on 7 years now, you start to notice the warning signs that the engines are running a little too hot.

16 years ago, nearly to the day… my Dad took his life. It’s bizarre writing that, because 16 years is such a long time. When we started R4R… when I first shared my story… I could say 9 years and in some way it felt more real… It felt more real because it had happened in recent memory… it felt more real because I hadn’t dealt with the scars that losing my Dad had left.

Those who know, know… Those who don’t, probably know too… Murray Bruce is a pillar of our community, both at the runs and behind the scenes. He's the one who brokered the University of Canberra research connection, coined the motto "better, not bigger," helped get Strolling rolling, and led the early charge with the Rise Above Santa Run.

The R4R Podcast is our podcast. Stories from our community help strengthen the connection we have with each other, but they also give us a more believable story we can tell ourselves if we’re going through something similar. The information is already out there… how to get through hard times hasn’t just been discovered… but annoyingly so, it seems like it’s something we all need to discover on our own… And when we hear about different strategies from people we know, we’re more likely to listen.

Stephe sits down with Georgie MacDiarmid (Canberra Grammar), Mark Nicholson (Torrens Primary), and Mark Robson (Forrest Primary) — the teachers behind Recess for Resilience in Canberra. They unpack how a simple walk at recess is transforming school culture, building emotional language in kids, and supporting teacher wellbeing too. From student captains to a selectively mute student finding her voice, this episode is full of real stories about what happens when connection becomes a priority.