Institute of Golf colleagues Craig Dixon, Guy Wilson, Jonny Gladwell and Jamie Milne are the first guys to call when it comes to slashing strokes off your game.
But they'd be the first to admit they'll be on lot shakier ground in a little under three months – the foursome is downing golf tools to run an 800km charity relay from Auckland to Wellington.
Entitled Many Miles for Mary, in honour of Milne's late grandmother, the marathon event will see the colleagues at the institute's Albany HQ slog out alternate daily segments of up to 140km from August 16-21.
Their aim is to raise awareness and money for their chosen charities – The Heart Foundation, the Child Cancer Foundation, the Cancer Society and Kidsline – and also highlight the importance of fitness in a sport traditionally perceived as requiring very little.
None in the institute team are what you'd call fanatical runners – far from it. Dixon and Wilson are the institute of Golf's instruction team, Milne the fitness coaching professional and core stabilization instructor, and Gladwell a member of its physiotherapy Team. Dixon and Gladwell's longest run before signing on was around 5km.
But motivated by their own personal connections to each charity, the quartet is putting themselves through a grueling training regime to be ready for their toughest physical test, including mentoring from New Zealand's international endurance specialist Lisa Tamati.
"I've never had so many aches and pains in my life, but it'll all be worth it when we reach Wellington – all the money is going to such a worthy cause," says Dixon.
To help fundraise and raise awareness en-route, an equally dedicated educational team, headed by the institute's director of physiotherapy Brad Takai, will travel ahead of the runners, visiting schools, golf clubs, and other groups/supporters.
For more information on the course, where to join in, and how to donate, visit www.manymilesformary.co.nz.
