Australind grandfather Steven Rice prepares to take on Bravehearts 777 Marathon for second time

To many people, the idea of running seven marathons is not something they would consider. Running seven marathons in seven days across seven cities is a whole other feat. Yet it is exactly what Australind grandfather Steven Rice will do later this year, raising funds for a charity seeking to prevent child sexual abuse and support victims. He will take part in the Bravehearts 777 Marathon, running 42.2km each day between June 26 and July 2. During that time, the 58-year-old will travel to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Launceston, Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast, all while running his 50th marathon. His preparation work is already under way with an extensive running regimen. “It’s a case of running fatigued every day and that gets you trained up to do something like this,” Mr Rice said. It is the second time he has undertaken the gruelling challenge, first taking part in the marathon in 2019. Asked what inspired him to take it up again, he mentioned the people he met during his tour. “In 2019, I met the original Braveheart MJ and her father who did it,” Mr Rice said. “It was very inspiring, he had never run a marathon in his life and he did seven marathons in seven days, the same as me — I took my hat off to that. “I also met people who’ve been abused that I ran with and I’ve seen all the stats, so it’s a great cause.” Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2021 showed about three in five victims of sexual assault were under the age of 18 when it occurred. He will be using his marathon tour to raise money for Bravehearts, a child protection charity founded by Hetty Johnston in 1997 after her young daughter informed her of her sexual abuse. It runs educational safety programs for children alongside counselling services. Mr Rice has a fundraising goal of $10,000, but has already raised more than $9000 with about six weeks to go until the first marathon takes place. He thanked his family for their support of his endeavour, with his son helping out with sponsorship. To donate visit fundraise.bravehearts.org.au/fundraisers/stevenrice. Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800