Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Two Territorians actually made history on Sunday. Western under man
Charlie Mayer became the first Indigenous man to complete all
seven major marathons in the world, and Vicky Bridge became
the first Northern Territory woman to race in seven world
major marathons, completing that Sydney Marathon on Sunday despite a
(00:24):
calf injury that I know she's been nursing for several
weeks now. This inspirational mother of two has run marathons
all over the world, covering hundreds of kilometers, and I'm
very pleased to say she joins me in the studio. Vicky,
Good morning, Congratulations to you.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
How the legs, The legs are a bit stiff. It
was hard getting up those stairs. Yeah, bit of recovery though.
My son had me walking around Cindy all day Monday.
So just doing the best I can.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Oh, good on you. How did it feel crossing that
finish line, you know, knowing that you're the first woman
in the Northern Territory to complete all seven world major marathons.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Well, it's been a quiet goal of mine, I guess
for about nine years, so I held it pretty close
to my heart.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
And oh well, people who know me know that was
my goal.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
And because of the injury though, this marathon was definitely
about the finish line, not about the finish time.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
And I just thought about that a lot as.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I was running, and I met and talked to so
many people across the course, and as I crossed I
was just really grateful. I mean, there isn't a better
finish line for a World Major than the Sydney Opera House.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I have to say, it was fantastic, how wonderful.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
And you did have family and friends there as well
cheering you all. What was that like?
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Awesome?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I mean, I've got to really shout out to my husband.
Behind the logistics of the marathon is him with all
the Cheersquad getting everywhere the world.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
That's been a huge effort.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So they usually walk a marathon in the day of
cheering the marathon. But every few kilometers I knew, if
I can just get there, I'll see another group, And
because of the injury, I was just able to stop
and say hi, high fives. We had some selfies, lots
of good energy.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
How awesome. Tell me where have the other World Majors been?
Talk our listeners through them?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
So do you want me to tell you how much
tell us about all of them. In twenty sixteen, when
I turned forty, I wanted to do New York Marathon.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
So a couple of friends and I went and run.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
The New York Marathon, and when I finished that, I thought,
oh wow, there's another one called Boston, and I'm kind
of kind of near the qualifying time, so I might
try again. So then did Gold Coast Marathon, qualified and
ran Boston twenty eighteen, and of course got.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
The worst weather in the world in Boston that day.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Snow, rain, hail, it was yeah, hypothermia, it was next level.
Got through it, and I don't think it was until
then that I found out about these world majors.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
So then I think it was the.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Case where I sort of said to my husband, I
want to do those, and he's probably.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Thinking wow, right, okay.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So then we went to Berlin twenty nineteen, where an
incredible run where you get to run through the Brandenburg Gate.
The finish London twenty twenty two. The only reason I
got a spot in London.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Is because of COVID.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Nobody was traveling That marathon probably has now nearly a
million applications. Wow. Nineteen thousand spots, very hard to qualify.
Then twenty twenty three Chicago memorable because I was able
to do a PB even though I was getting older,
really well organized marathon.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
And that's then.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Tokyo twenty twenty five, managed to get a spot there,
finished the six Majors, and of course then of course
they've added Sydney, so you know, we've got to keep
going here. Managed to get a spot in Sydney, which
meant two marathons in six months.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Probably why the body.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Just decided to give up on me and didn't really
run much in the last few weeks leading up to Sydney.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Couldn't do the long runs. But what an.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Incredible feast, What an incredible thing to have done. And
you know, to travel the world and running these marathons.
Have you got a favorite? Was one of those marathons
just stand out favorite?
Speaker 2 (04:27):
I mean, I think they're all very memorable to me
for different reasons. I won't forget Sydney because of the volunteers.
There was a water station where I yelled out, thank
you volunteers, and this guy said on three two one,
let's go VICKI and the entire water station cheered for me.
In Sydney. In terms of crowds, it has to be
(04:48):
in New York. It is like a block party running
through those five moles. Really every house is having a
party and it is awesome, and Sydney is going to
get there with the crowds. But for the first year
as a major, that absolutely rocked it. I think everybody
who ran it couldn't fault.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Well, there's just so much in it. Yeah, so good,
how wonderful.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And you were telling me off here as well, Charlie
obviously out of Alice Springs. He's the first indigenous man
to complete all seven World major marathons as well. You
were telling me that during one of your marathons you
actually ran into him on the course, which is pretty
unbelievable when you think about the number of people competing
in these marathons.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Oh my goodness, there must be you know, forty five
to fifty thousand people in London in twenty twenty two,
and I had gone to Alice, didn't really know many
people there and needed to do thirty two kilometers, gone
in touch with Charlie, he ran with me. He's an
exceptional human. And then I just looked over in London.
(05:49):
I was struggling a bit, and there is Charlie and
I just.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Couldn't believe it. We both just sort of stopped, embraced
as you can. In the middle of the marathon.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
He finished. I'm pretty sure that's when he got his
six star. And you know he's now working for the
Indigenous Marathon Foundation and he is a legend.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yeah, what an absolute legend, as are you? I mean,
what's next, Vicky? Is that it? Well?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
I need a rest? Do you need a rest? You know?
I think there's these these six star, these medals.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
There'd be about twenty thousand people in the world with
the six star. Now I think there's about four thousand
with the seven star.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
There's there's less.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Than one hundred women in Australia, but that'll keep building
because marathon running is increasing in popularity and it's it's
a joyful thing to do.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I know that they're adding Cape Town and one lady
she did an interview in Sydney and she said, all right, you.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
World majors are not doing any more. That's it, And
then the comment underneath said see you in Cape Town.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So you know, I hope my husband's not listening, but
I capedun see it's a bit like childbirth.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
The marathon. Afterwards you go, I'm never doing that again,
and then you're like, oh, actually maybe one.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
More do it again?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah, And I mean it's it's great when you've when
you've got the support of friends and family and you've
got you know, I've got a great running group here
in Duhwin Run for Coffee the meet every Saturday. It's
it's about friendship and running and that's really special. It
is those are the thoughts too that get you through marathons.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
How are all your how are all your running crew
feeling as you, you know, as you become the first
Northern Territory woman to you know, to actually achieve this goal.
But as you touched on, there's actually not many within Australia.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
No, and that's probably because of the logistics came to
the marathons. And I know some of the Americans were
complaining in Sydney and I was like, come on, guys,
we go all over the world, you've had to come
to one. The Run for Coffee crew they will keep
me very grounded. I imagine they'll be like, all right,
so come on, VICKI let's move on and keep running.
(08:06):
But yeah, They are just such a great bunch of people.
And I also see a man called Dazz every Thursday
at Nightcliff Gym, and he does some strength with work
with me, and you know, he's.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Helped me a lot too.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
There's just little gems of individuals around the place that
get you through, as you.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Know well, and it's such a wonderful thing, that running community.
And I think that unless you have kind of you know,
unless you're gone for a run, you've gone out to
park run, or you've got your running crew, or you know,
you go to athletics, you don't like it's such a
supportive bunch of people as well. And it's you know,
you might think that it's a competitive thing, but it's
(08:45):
actually not. People are there to help each other. They're
there to support each other. So I know that the runners,
the non runners, everybody listening this morning, they'll be so happy,
you know, to hear that you've achieved this goal.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
I reckon, well, thanks, Katie. I think, yeah, it isn't
all about running. It's definitely just about what you think
you can do in your mind. You know, the physicality
will get you to the start line, the mentality will
get you to the finish. I saw people fall over
in the marathon. I saw people stop them. A woman
getting her seventh start actually broke her arm, but they
(09:19):
tried to pull her into the medical tent and she
said no way.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
You know, so there is that determination as well.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And yeah, I think you know, any form of anything
that you do that makes you feel good is a
good thing.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Yeah, like that physical activity, it's incredible.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, but just.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Very quickly, how like tell our listeners because for some
people listening this morning, they might be like, I don't
even know how far a marathon is. It's forty two
point two two to start off with. You know, it's
a lot of training that goes into it, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, well, actually that's true.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Yeah, And you know, Katie, because you have done some
marathons and it is all that training. The forty two
point two kilometers is literally the victory lap. The months
of training that go in and trying to keep your
body healthy to get to that start line and sort
of sacrificing things. I mean, people in my friends here
(10:15):
probably sometimes think, oh, she's so boring.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I don't you know.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I want to go home so that I can get sleep,
so I can get up and do the next run.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Yeah, so it is.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You know, it's probably about four months that you would
really get focused. You've got to dial in the nutrition
and you know, but on the other side of it,
you've also got to be human, you know, and have
a good time. I mean most of my a lot
of my really enjoyable training runs have been with my
sons running or on bikes and they take me around
(10:48):
East Point. My son the other day did a choose
around adventure and said he had to tell me where
to go. We always make it fun. Yeah, and it doesn't.
It's it's not about a time or I'm not too
serious about that stuff. It's just about having a good time.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
And what a wonderful thing for the kids to say, Hey,
it's so.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Good for them.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Well, my eldest son says he's going to run a
marathon with me, and I'm like, right, the window is small.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
You're gonna have to do it when you're eighteen. Otherwise
I will not be able to keep up. My calves
won't want.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
To yeah, and want to tell maybe, yeah, we might
all have to do it.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Well, Vicky, it is lovely to have you on the show.
A massive congratulations to you, and I understand it your
mum's birthday.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Today as well. Thank you, Katie. It is my mum's birthday.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I hope she's listening in Queensland.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I think she would be.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
She's seventy seven, but she told me she's aging backwards,
so I think it's seventy five today.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Happy birthday, Mom, love you well.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
She shares it with my husband, So a good day
for some wonderful people.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
For their She's a good day.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
And honestly, Mum and Dad, you know they've stayed up
well dad's passed now, but stayed up all night tracking
me all over the place. And I just can't thank
them enough for, you know, putting that belief in.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
That's absolutely how proud they must. Vicky, congratulations. It's lovely
to talk to you this morning. Thanks so much for
your time.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Thanks a lot, Katie.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Thank you