BONNIE RUNS WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Indigenous Marathon Foundation member, Bonnie (Verhonda) Smith, has completed her most gruelling event yet in the lead up to a final marathon later this year.
On Saturday, Bonnie completed a 30-kilometre run and the physical and mental challenges were harder because she had to do it alone.
Normally, the IMG athletes train and run as a squad and have plenty of teammates at their shoulder, urging them on.
COVID has scuppered the plans of just about everyone this year and Bonnie was no exception. On Saturday morning she headed out from Bourke’s Wharf Precinct, along the levee bank and out to North Bourke on her own, with more than four hours of running ahead of her.
Although she didn’t have her running squad, Bonnie said she did have her family and the Bourke community encouraging her to keep going.
“It was really hard, physically and mentally and when I got to 28 kilometres I had a bit of a breakdown,” Bonnie said.
“I didn’t know if I would be able to go on, I was crying and I was really disappointed with myself that I had to stop, because my aim was to run the distance without stopping.
Read more local news in the printed edition of The Western Herald.
To subscribe call (02) 6872 2333 today and receive The Western Herald in your letterbox next week!