Hearts Across Australia
At the end of 2011, Gary Wilmot weighed 145kg, was overweight, drank, smoked and was fairly sure he would become a heart attack statistic within 2 years,
Instead of waiting for the inevitable, he made changes to his lifestyle, took up exercise, watched what he ate, and made better overall choices.
In June 2013 Gary completed his first marathon. In April 2014, he ran in the London Marathon for the Heart Foundation and between May and September 2015, he crossed Australia on foot, travelling approximately 5500km from Perth to Brisbane, via Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney - a journey that took 4 months!
This massive undertaking proved that ordinary people really can do extraordinary things, and embracing an active lifestyle will have a positive impact on your life.
It also effectively launched "Hearts Across Australia" as an ongoing effort to spread the active lifestyle message, raise awareness and fundraise for charity.
The amount raised in 2015 was perhaps below initial expectations, however it showed a great deal of support, generosity and goodwill does exist.
So why has this crowdfunder been reactivated? Well, during the event itself, we wanted the focus to be on the fundraising, and this crowdfunding account potentially caused confusion on that front. However, having made a significant personal investment in the project, we are now at a turning point in the evolution of "HAA"
The aim now is, effectively, to recoup some of the project costs, and in turn use them to ensure the future of HAA, starting with London Marathon 2016, bringing into reality a unique and exciting virtual run concept, and ultimately to establish "Hearts Across Australia" as a registered not-for-profit charitable organisation.
As always, this isn't just an exercise in asking you to put your hand in your pocket, supporters will be rewarded with recognition as official partners and sponsors, inclusion of details and links on the web site and social media platforms, and an opportunity to have Gary present a talk or workshop for your business, sports club, Rotary Club, Lions Club or other organisation.
#HAA2015 was the beginning, we look forward to welcoming you to be part of the future of Hearts Across Australia!
