“Why I started running? It’s easy to answer – it was when I changed my life completely, and it all started when I turned 30…
Up until the ripe age of 30 I had always aimed for mediocrity, to cruise along and be ‘average’. I then hit that milestone birthday and reality hit me; my wife Lee and I had two young children and I realised I wanted them to be proud of me. The reality hit that I needed to have the confidence to ‘be more’. I can honestly say I was the average beer-drinking, rugby-playing, overweight, stereotypical kiwi male. I wanted my children to be more, but how could they if I was the role model to follow?
I started exploring a new job in the Police and decided on some goals, lose weight and tick the box to run a marathon. I previously had never run more than 10km and that was YEARS ago, the marathon goal seemed such a huge target.
I trained more, while at the same time coming closer to my new job. Things fell into place and I started gaining confidence that I could be more than average.
I hit the start line of the 2010 Motatapu Marathon, between Wanaka and Arrowtown, a different person; down over 16kg and a new job on its way. What I didn’t realise was how the next 42km was going to completely change my life.
I still remember the run itself. I went out hard, attacked the hill sections, and suffered horribly in the last 5km; tired, sore, chafing, cramping, pure exhaustion. It was great! I loved it all and I signed up for the next year straight away.
I think I ended up in the top 25 men. I remember the high at the finish of achieving the goal and being among so many cool people, this has carried me forward to where I am now.
Hindsight is an amazing thing. I look back at the beer-swilling me from my 20’s and see someone with simply no self-confidence and drive, compared to what I become, much of this comes from my running. Running along with my success in my new life as a Police Officer gave me a new belief in myself, with every positive encounter in one giving me the ability to push further in the other.
I have so many amazing running memories, the mountains conquered with mates, the random multi-day adventures, the cool events, and the successes. As I gained confidence I aimed higher, took on a coach, and told myself no boundaries – something the old Dwight would never dream of. I now have National age-group titles, race wins/placings, run 5km in low 16 minutes, run 184km in 24 hours, and something I can honestly say put a tear in my eye, I was selected to represent NZ in the men’s Mountain running team – I sort of pinch myself that I could have ever made it to wearing the silver fern.
So back to what exactly is my Why? It started as a spark for a person in a mid-life crisis point lacking the confidence to be ‘someone’ and become the drive to become all I could be and find the boundaries of my ability. But more importantly, my why made my son and daughter proud of me. I would happily trade in all my running medals just for that.”
Dwight @dwightgrieve
(Te Anau)
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