Josh Lawton

Josh Lawton is a man on a mission.

One of our local lads, Josh has found a way to combine his passion for fitness with a cause close to his heart. Coming up this December, he’s taking on a massive challenge: 80km of running, 2,400 push-ups, and 1,200 pull-ups — all in just 24 hours! It’s bold, it’s brutal, and it’s all for something bigger than himself.

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
One of our local lads, Josh Lorden, has taken an
interest in something that's combining his passion for exercise with
a cause close to his heart.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Is in the studio to tell us all about it.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Josh lordin, good morning, morning, how's it gone?

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good? Thank you?

Speaker 1 (00:15):
I can't wait to dive into this and find out,
you know, the whys and the hows about this aslong
with the other details.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
So I reckon we start with a.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Wee bit of an overview about you, your fitness journey
and sort of what inspired you to take it.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
To this next level.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yep. Yeah, So I started running. Probably I've been training
just on and off or sort of for the last
maybe three or four years, but I started really getting
into it maybe a year ago when I signed up
for my first half marathon, which around last year, and
then pretty much just fell in love with it after that,
with the with the running especially, and.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, do you like the physical side of it more
or has it been sort of that me health side
of it that you've gone, hey, you know what this
actually really works for me?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yep?

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah, Well, initially I I only started really training just
to improve my physical health, but then I sort of
realized how much benefits it was having on my mental
health too, and it just sort of transferred into my.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Life. Really, you're twenty one years old, you are builder
by trade. Are these you know, the conversations that you're
heaving and your friend groups, like, are you the type
of leads and girls that you know will sit around
and have a barbecue and chicken with each other?

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Or do you think those wolves are.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Still a wee bit up and sort of still quite barriers? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:41):
There just definitely still is a bit of a burrier there.
I think like my friend group especially where starting become
more open and started talking about that sort of stuff,
which is really good. And yeah, I think it's just
massive to bring awareness to because it doesn't get talked
about a lot. People just keep it to themselves, don't
really check up on check up on the mates.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, very much.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
And I know this is why this was a reason
why you were like, well, if I can do it
and raise awareness for mental health and that it is
you know, it is normal to talk to your mates,
check in with pafano and say hey, what's going on?
So how did you go from that train of thought
to coming up with this challenge that you're doing in December.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, so basically, fitness and health is and mental health
is something I'm really passionate about. So I was sort
of just looking for a way to combine the two.
Try to do something cool, which is the challenge, and yeah,
I thought of might as well bringing the mental health
side of things to raise awareness for that.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
So, yeah, thirteenth of December, you are taking on this
monster of a challenge I'm going to call it.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Talk us through what that day is going to look like.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, so I think most of the hard work is
going to be in the training, just really preparing myself
for it, and hopefully it's gonna it's gonna be tough,
but yeah, I know as long as I prepare well
and train hard or I'll be sweet.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
So what are you going to I'm going to say
attempt but also conquer on the thirteenth of December.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
So I'm going to be attempting to run eighty kilometers
and attempting to do two thy four hundred push ups
and twelve hundred pull ups and within twenty four hours.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
So yeah, how did you come up with those numbers?

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Well, it was sort of I was just sort of
brainstorming in my head about a challenge I could do,
and I thought, I've seen a lot of twenty four
hour challenges, but I've never seen anyone really attempt to
do you know, run push ups, pull ups as well.
So I basically just set a sort of a standard
for myself that I think something that's possible. So possible,

(03:53):
but a push Yeah, it's going to be a challenge,
and yeah, I definitely think I'll be able to do it.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
But that's hey, is good.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
The far out you want to have those thoughts, you've
got location to be decided. But from here on out,
what are we where Let's say mid septembers not that
far away?

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Really, fourteen weeks, fourteen weeks?

Speaker 1 (04:15):
How is the training going to look between you know
now and when you start to get closer?

Speaker 3 (04:21):
Yeah, so I'm just going to slowly progress my training,
just starting to add add more intensity as we get
up to it. And yeah, a lot of push ups,
a lot of pull.

Speaker 1 (04:29):
Ups, and put some mytholated spirits on those to keep
the listers of bake Yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
Keep them nice and callous.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
For people that want to, you know, support, whether that
is by donating or perhaps would you love to have
other people there throughout that twenty four hour space, you know,
jumping on the treadmill beside you or anything like that.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
I definitely like there's a lot of people have reached
out saying that they want to come run a few
kids with me. So yeah, I inviting anyone to come.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
And the best way to reach out and to follow along.
I know you're going to live stream the challenge. Give
yourself a plug for your social media.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, so on Instagram, mom miles for mental and on
Facebook is just Josh Lawden and you can find the
links in my and both my accounts if you want
to donate and help out, everything's appreciated.

Speaker 1 (05:15):
So their money raised is going to where Yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
It's going to the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
They do a lot of work with the youth too,
which is I think is very important because a lot
of youth are probably the people that struggle with mental
health the most.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
So yeah, and it's like what we were talking about before,
If we can create these conversations and reaching out being
the norm, then our future generations are only just gonna,
I say, get better. But you know life's going to
be a little bit easier. So do you have a
goal in mind for the total amount that you'd like

(05:54):
to raise, not really.

Speaker 3 (05:55):
To be honest, I wouldn't. Yeah, I'm actually quite blown
away by the supportive or just by the local community,
so yeah, I'm not really sure how far it's going
to go, but yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
Anything absolutely counts.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
Well, josh it is amazing to see you're using your
fitness to challenge yourself and make a difference in raising
awareness for mental health. Like josh shed If you'd like
to follow his journey or donate to the cause, check
out either Instagram.

Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, Instagram, myles for Mental and Facebook.

Speaker 1 (06:23):
Just Joshua and we will keep you up to day
as to where it's all going to take place on
the thirteenth of December. Go well, lad and yeah, thanks
for taking one for the team.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Thank you very much.