When most people think of a visit to Bali, the goal is usually to cash in some well-deserved R&R; for Bernard Cook, it’s quite the opposite.
The Lane Cove local will run an ultra-marathon of 84 kilometres across the island overnight to raise money to provide education and employment opportunities for Balinese children.
“There’s always been something in me that wanted to do something, not only just for myself but, you know, for a bigger cause as well,” Bernard told ITC.
“So there was that inside, you know, burning inside of me.”
“I put a challenge out there to my brother that we do it for our 40th birthday, which is in the same month of May,” he said.
“He lives in Perth, I’m in Sydney, but we do keep in contact through a Strava app… We want to finish together, so we’re not, we’re not going to leave anyone behind.”
The event, which kicks off 21 May, is hosted by the Bali Children Foundation, an organisation dedicated to helping children to complete school, find employment and improve their lives and community.
Bernard aims to raise $5000 for the Foundation through the Bali Hope Ultramarathon, and with already $1000 donated he’s well on his way to achieving that goal.
The coast-to-coast double marathon begins in the Buleleng Regency at the Lovina resort and finishes at Old Man’s, a bar in Canggu.
Although participants only have a day and night to complete the run, the event spans seven days and is filled with team experiences such as enjoying the delicacies and tranquillity of the country as well as visiting the communities they are running to support.
This will be Bernard’s first time visiting Bali, so in terms of what to expect, humid weather, cheeky stray dogs and uneven roads in low light are the main concerns he’s been warned of. Other than that, he’s going in blind.
Luckily, he’s not only had some help from his brother who has run the event before, but also from his running coach Sean Bell.
“He’s the fastest man to run around Australia. It took him 166 days,” Bernard shared.
“We have one-on-one catch-ups, you know, once a month. And he’s got full data and analysis of what I need to do.
“He comments on every exercise or task that I do, and so for him to say, you’re killing it Burn, you’re going to smash this, those sorts of words of encouragement really motivate me and give me more belief within myself that I can do this.”
The father of three will be going over with his two children, a newborn and his wife Vera. Ending at a bar after a long 84-kilometre run and chugging a nice cold brew would normally be enough to inspire any man over a finish line.
But for Bernard, who has given up drinking for the year, he’s looking forward to seeing his family.
“It’d be a big hug from them [His family]. Hug it out, cry it out, whatever it is, and then obviously running through the night you’re sort of a bit sleep deprived, so sleep, recover, and some food.”
You can support Bernard on his run to raise money for underprivileged Balinese children by clicking here.
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