A Gunnedah woman is running nine half-marathons in nine days on nine different routes in aid of child protection.
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Despite working fulltime, Steph Hopkinson is running 21km a day to raise funds and awareness for Bravehearts. This is day seven.
Ms Hopkinson ran seven marathons in seven days in seven states last year for the same cause but the event was cancelled this year because of COVID-19.
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In 2019, 21 national competitors in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Launceston, Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast raised $350,000.
Bravehearts founders, the Johnstons, were among the runners and this fired Ms Hopkinson's drive to help again this year.
"I fell in love with the cause last year and Kayleen and Ian ran with us and getting to know them after the event cemented the cause for me," Ms Hopkinson said.
"One in five children will be sexually harmed in some way before their 18th birthday. It's just not good enough.
"COVID's made it stronger because home is not the safest place ... I want to help lower that gap.
"Children are the future; we need to protect our future. I have been fortunate enough to have not needed the help and support from an organisation such as Bravehearts, but after hearing Ian and Kayleen's story, I now have a deep passion to be able to use my running to be able to help people who need it."
Ms Hopkinson has raised almost $7000 for the not-for-profit, non-government agency, which aims to prevent child sexual assault.
- To follow Steph Hopkinson's journey, visit www.facebook.com/Stephs-777-Journey
- To donate, click here.