John Barnard-Richardson completed a 110km ultra trail run to raise funds for acute aged care services
John Barnard-Richardson went the extra mile recently, completing the 110 kilometre Ultra Trail Jervis Bay on 28 June – all to raise funds for the NORTH Foundation and bring awareness to acute aged care services.
John, 56, has worked for the Northern Sydney Local Health District in St Leonards for 13 years and says in committing to the run, he needed a purpose. “I wanted to look at areas I could make more of a difference in, that were relatable,” he says. “Aged care is something that’s relatable to all of us. It impacts us directly and indirectly through our life, whether it’s through our parents or other loved ones. But also us at a point in time too.”
He says hospitals are great at providing acute care to elderly patients, but he would like to see a change in that space. “The care they get is beautiful. They get what they need from a clinical perspective and the service they get is where it should be. But my campaign and drive has been about how do we make a softer environment for them.” John’s idea is to introduce activities and resources to provide stimulation, interest and comfort for aged care patients.
“My campaign with the NORTH Foundation for Royal North Shore Aged Care Acute Services is about raising awareness of the important role our community can play in supporting aged care,” he says, adding that while fundraising is one thing that everyone can do to help, contributing time to visit patients in aged care is also of great benefit.
He says the ultra trail event, which saw him running a trail along the cliff edge of Jervis Bay out to Huskinson and back on the South Coast, took him 13 hours and 48 minutes to complete. Not even a fall he sustained at the 69km mark, tripping on a tree root, could deter him from completing the event. “My shoulder was pounding and I’d sustained some scrapes to my knees and face, but I was determined to push on. After all, it was only 41 kilometres to the finish line!” he says.
His efforts saw him raise $5,391 for acute aged care services at Royal North Shore Hospital, but he’s not finished yet, and intends to keep campaigning and fundraising for the cause, hoping to hit his fundraising target of $10,000.
He also hopes that others resonate with what he’s doing and decide they too could raise fundraise for the NORTH Foundation by holding a bake sale or committing to an event.
“This is the start, rather than the finish,” John says.
To donate, visit: north-foundation.raisely.com/john-barnard-richardson