After recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident, John Hulin is back running marathons around the world. He goes Under the Auld Pump with Tim Auld.
AT A GLANCE
John Hulin
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Born: In Warrnambool on July 25, 1989.
Parent: Peter.
Step-mother: Uli.
Partner: Rebecca.
Education: St Marcellus Primary School in Purnim before going to St Joseph's Primary School in Warrnambool, Emmanuel College in Warrnambool and then Deakin University.
Sporting highlight: Running in marathons after recovering from injuries which were sustained in a car accident that happened in March 2010.
John, let's go back to the car accident. Where and how did it happen?
It happened out in front of Woodbine. The homestead on the golf course road in Port Fairy - just down a bit from the front gates of the golf course.
An on-coming car got caught in the gravel and swung across the road and we had a head-on.
I was trapped in the car for an hour-and-a-half and was in intense pain before being taken out of the car.
It was found I had a broken right femur, knee and ankle and sustained numerous cuts and bruises.
A few months after the accident I snapped the fibula in the other leg.
I spent 27 weeks on crutches in 2010 and there was talk amongst the medical people that I may never run again which was shattering news to me.
I consider myself lucky to be alive after the ordeal that I had been through.
There has been lots and lots of rehab and even though I still get sore feet and legs it's just great to be able to run again and take part in marathons which I really love.
I've got a great mate Dan Garner who I knew in Warrnambool and he keeps on encouraging me.
I'm also pleased to see they have recently reduced the speed limit on the golf course road down from 100 kilometres to 80 kilometres which will make it safer in that area.
John, when you were growing up in Warrnambool did you play much sport?
I played junior footy with Warrnambool CBC in the under 12s and worked my way through the various grades before playing in the reserves with Warrnambool.
I was not much good as a footballer.
I just went along for the social side and to have a kick with my mates.
I can remember taking part in the Warrnambool Surf to Surf runs years ago and I've still got a t-shirt from those events.
The Standard used to sponsor the event for years.
My years at Warrnambool's Deakin University saw me working various part time jobs including at the old Gallery Nightclub picking up glasses.
I saw plenty of funny things at the Gall but it's better if I don't repeat them here.
Amazingly, you took part in half-marathons in Canberra and the Gold Coast in 2018 before taking part in the Toyko marathon in March 2019. It must have been an incredible journey for you to take part in such gruelling events after sustaining the injuries you received after the car accident?
Let's just say it was not easy.
It was all very challenging but I've been very lucky to have received enormous support from the ones close to me and the medical team that have helped me over the years.
I started thinking of running in the Toyko marathon after competing in the half-marathons in Canberra and on the Gold Coast.
It started going through my mind that I could run out the 42 kilometres of a marathon.
What was the training like leading up to the Toyko marathon?
I've lived in Canberra for the last eight years as a political media advisor for the Liberal party.
I've put in a lot of training to take part in the marathons.
The next one I will be running in is at Berlin in September.
The temperature can get down to minus eight in the mornings in Canberra and that's hard to take when your preparing for a marathon.
It's all about commitment and pushing the barriers and the body.
I can't complain I often go back in my mind to when I was on crutches for 27 weeks and laid up in a hospital bed before trying to learn to walk again behind a wooden frame.
I've found you've just got to keep on going. I've found that I still suffer with pain in my right ankle so I'm always doing rehab which includes stretching exercises to help manage the pain.
The big six marathons in the world are in Toyko which I've already done.
The others are in Berlin, New York, London, Chicago and Boston.
I want to run in the six of them that's the dream or goal.
How's the training leading into the Berlin marathon taking place in late September?
I'm putting in a lot of training leading into Berlin and that will intensify in the upcoming weeks.
One of the keys to running in marathons is to have a good diet I'm always mindful of what I eat and drink.
I'm just hoping to stay injury free.
The best time I've run in a marathon is three hours and 30 minutes and I'm hoping to get my time down to under three hours for the Berlin marathon.
The course in Berlin is very flat and early indications are the temperature will be 15 degrees.
John, you mentioned that you were a media advisor for the Liberal Party in Canberra before the Morrison government was voted out. Did you enjoy your time being involved in politics?
It was fascinating to be in Parliament House Canberra and seeing everything play out.
The Liberal Party had three terms in government and that's a long time.
The people have voted in the Labor Party and that's how democracy works which is all good.
I would often pinch myself and think I've come a long way from Warrnambool to see politics played out up close in Canberra.
COVID had a massive impact on Canberra and everywhere else in Australia and the world.
I can say it's tough on any party because they often have to make tough decisions that are not going to be liked by the public.
I've got a new job lined up which will still see me living in Canberra.