Fifteen-year-old Canberra local, Nate Griffin, ran an incredible 100km raising money for OzHarvest this month. We talked to him about the highs and lows of his journey.

What made you decide to do a run for charity?

Fundraising is a big aspect of what we do in the Year 9/10 DARE Boys Program at Lyneham High School, and we were strongly encouraged by our teachers to take the initiative and do something to serve our community. To be honest, I’m still not quite sure where the idea to run 100km came from! It just seemed to hit me, and I guess it stuck!

Why did you choose to raise money for OzHarvest?

I chose to raise money for OzHarvest because I have admired their wonderful work since first hearing about them a few years ago. I think it’s really important to look after vulnerable people in our community. OzHarvest does a fantastic job of this, rescuing good food destined for landfill and getting it to people in need.

What was the hardest part of your run/the whole experience?

Throughout the day, there were many ups and downs. But without a doubt, the most difficult part of my run was between 70km and 84km. This is the point at which I hit ‘the wall’; I was feeling completely smashed and out of it. I knew I would haul myself to the finish line, but at this point I had no idea how I was going to get there!

What was the best part of your run?

The best part was definitely the final 2km, which my DARE classmates ran with me for support. And then in the final few hundred metres, I could see the crowd at the finish line: my family, my mates and my teachers all gathered together to cheer me home. I will never forget that image.