Jam Graham-Blair is set to become the first athlete from lutruwita/Tasmania to run the New York Marathon as part of the Indigenous Marathon Project team this November.
The project has supported Indigenous marathoners since 2009 to run in events around the world.
"It feels good to represent my people and dedicate runs to community members and to the island as well," Jam told ABC Hobart's Helen Shield.
But what motivates someone to push past pain, cramp and fatigue to train for a marathon?
Last year, Jam conducted their second commercial season muttonbirding on Big Dog Island, a small island south of Flinders Island in the Bass Strait.
In doing so Jam was carrying on a tradition; Tasmanian Aboriginal people have been harvesting the sea birds from burrows for at least 10,000 years.
It is tough work, tramping through sand dunes and pulling out heavy muttonbird chicks.
Despite giving it a "red hot crack", Jam realised that their fitness was not "where I wanted it to be to be a good birder".
When Jam got back to Hobart, they decided to get their health on track, "so I could hold that beautiful aspect of our culture a little bit more closely".
Making the squad
While some people would be happy going from the couch to running five kilometres, Jam decided to go all in and train to get on the Indigenous Marathon Foundation team.
"People call me either super-motivated or super-insane," they said.
They were particularly inspired by their friend Jye Strugnell, a Nykinkya and Yawuru woman, who was on the team last year.
"That's actually part of the reason I took up running last year, watching her posts and the experience she was going through," Jam said.
"She said, 'You should just go and try out, even if you don't make it, go, try out, do the time trial'."
Jam took the advice and ended up blasting through the time trial with a personal best to make the team in a competitive field.
Training for New York
Jam and the squad have entered an intensive training program to get ready for the big day in the Big Apple.
"It is absolutely incredible to think that there is a six-month window to get these 12 individuals to marathon-ready fitness," they said.
"We've just had a week-long training camp in Canberra on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country."
As well as training for the big day, the runners are learning skills such as first aid and run coaching that they can bring back to their communities.
"Now as individuals we can go and teach people in our community how to run properly and to look after their bodies."
Running as a gift to your body
On race day, 2.5 million people will line the New York streets and cheer the runners on — that's five times as many people than live in lutruwita/Tasmania.
Jam was "blown out" and "a bit nervous" when they realised just how huge the race day would be, but they are also "super proud" to have made the team.
"I've always kind of thought of running as a bit of a gift you give to your body.
"I do a bit of running up on [kunanyi/Mount Wellington] and it's a moment of connection.
"As far as birding goes ... I know next season is going to be my best one yet, because my fitness will be at a lifetime high and I'll be able to make my old fullas proud.
"Being such a threatened cultural practice, I just hope that I can inspire other mob to not only take up the responsibility to go birding, but also inspire everyone to look after the ocean, reduce plastic pollution and to make climate aware decisions to help protect this sacred bird and practice."
