Help me support School Kids through YouthCare Chaplaincy
Running for a Reason: 160km for WA School Kids
Hello!
I'm Erik, and I'm one of many Youthcare Chaplains in Western Australia supporting school kids day-to-day with the challenges they face. We work alongside school staff and school communities to provide much-needed help to today's youth.
I work at Collie Senior High School, where I see young people dealing with a wide range of issues—from friend breakups and social struggles to family breakdowns, neglect, and abuse.
The Need for Support
There is a desperate need for more support for kids at school across the state. Youthcare is on the front line, training and employing Chaplains to fill that vital role in the Western Australian school system. Schools are crying out for more hours from their Chaplains, and I'm fundraising to help make that possible here in Collie—and across the state.
My Challenge: 24 Hours & 160 Kilometers
Up until May this year, the longest distance I had ever run was less than 15km. Now, I have challenged myself to run for 24 hours straight this August!
I will be participating in the Birdys Backyard Ultra Marathon at Lake Towerrinning, Moodiarup WA, starting at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 7th.
My First Goal: To run 100km over 15 hours.
The Ultimate Goal: If my legs hold up, I want to make it to the 24-hour mark and hit 160km.
How You Can Help
I’d love for you to sponsor me in supporting this great cause.
50% of the money raised will go directly toward Chaplaincy here in my hometown of Collie.
50% will go to Youthcare to support Chaplaincy statewide across WA.
You can follow my journey on:
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/erik.mellegers)
Strava (to see my training log https://www.strava.com/athletes/325488)
And you can donate on the Ridiculously Good website (hosted by Youthcare https://www.ridiculouslygood.com.au/fundraisers/erikmellegers/ridiculously-good?showtick=true )
Check out YouthCARE Chaplaincy (https://www.youthcare.org.au/ )
And check out the Birdys Ultra Marathon event page for event details (https://www.birdysbackyardultra.com.au/ )
Running with Purpose
This year I’m running for a reason, which reminds me of a Bible passage from Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth:
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly..." — 1 Corinthians 9:24–26
I’m under no illusions—my chances of winning the actual event are zero compared to the athletes who have been training for years. But I am doing this to raise money for something that will make a real, long-lasting difference in the lives of so many school kids here in Western Australia. To me, that is a far better prize than any winner's medal will ever be worth.
Thanks and bless you all!
Erik Mellegers Youthcare Chaplain, Collie Senior High School
My Achievements
Fundraising page
Updated Profile Pic
Added a Blog Post
Received 5 Donations
Received 10 Donations
Received 15 Donations
Received 20 Donations
Reached Goal
Increased Target
My Updates
More Updates on Erik's Facebook Feed!
Sunday 19th Jul
There's lot's of updates you can check out on Erik's Facebook Feed if you're keen to see more STRAVA Art or Video Updates check it out by following this link:
https://www.facebook.com/erik.mellegers
Erik
PRINT AND SHARE THIS POSTER!
Thursday 2nd Jul
🏃♂️ Want to help support School Chaplains across Western Australia?
One of the easiest ways you can help is by printing this poster and displaying it where people will see it!
Whether it's at your workplace, church, local café, community noticeboard, gym, or sports club, every poster helps spread the word and gives more people the opportunity to support this fundraiser.
I'm taking on Birdy's Backyard Ultra to raise funds for YouthCARE Chaplaincy, helping provide more chaplaincy support for students and schools across WA.
If you're willing to print a copy and put it up, I'd be incredibly grateful. Every conversation it starts and every donation it inspires helps make a difference in the lives of young people.
Thank you for being part of it! 💜🧡
#RidiculouslyGood #YouthCARE #SchoolChaplaincy #BirdysBackyardUltra #Fundraising #SupportOurKids #Collie #WesternAustralia
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STRAVA Art to keep the training runs that little bit more interesting
Friday 26th Jun
ShareFor those who haven't heard of Strava, it’s an app that helps athletes track their running, riding, and daily activities. It keeps a record of workouts on a calendar, tracks key data, and maps out exactly where you've been.
To mix things up a bit, you can actually plan a route to draw a picture on the map! While "Strava Art" is usually pretty rudimentary, it’s a fun way for people to follow along with my training. It also breaks up the monotony of long runs and adds a creative challenge to the miles.
I’ll be posting screenshots of my recent Strava Art in the gallery below, or you can check out my Strava page directly to follow my training journey.
A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far! I truly appreciate your support.
Cheers,
Erik
YouthCARE Chaplain Collie Senior High SchoolMy Strava Profile and activities : https://www.strava.com/athletes/325488
First Big Race Simulation Run - 6.71km on the hour, each hour, for 8 hours (Tuesday 16th June)
Wednesday 24th Jun
The 24-Hour Simulation: 58km in the Legs!
So... Birdy’s Backyard Ultra is in August. It is now June, and I’ve been building up some running miles.
But the big question remains: how will my body hold up to running 6.71km on the hour, every hour, for 24 hours?
To find out, Tuesday, 16th June was my first official Ultra Marathon Run Simulation.
Nutrition Plan? Yep. Food boxed up and piled in the fridge, ready to be eaten each hour.
Hydration? Yep. Sports drinks, gels and water lined up according to hourly requirements.
Gear? Yep. Assorted shoes and socks ready to swap out to see what fits best.
Clothing? Yep. Clean changes of clothes ready for 8 hours of running.
Here is how the day unfolded:
The Hourly Breakdown
8:00 AM – Lap 1 (6.71km): Headed out on my first lap. Running felt slow (around a 7:00 min/km pace). I finished with 10 minutes of rest to eat and drink. A great start.
9:00 AM – Lap 2 (13.42km total): I really had to concentrate to run slowly; I didn't want to waste energy and focussing on getting through 8 hours. Got back home and changed my shoes, socks, and clothes. Keeping the fabric dry against my skin is key to stopping chafing and rashes before they become an issue.
10:00 AM – Lap 3 (20.13km total): Legs still feel fantastic. Thoughts are running through my head that I could easily keep this up for 12 hours today! The official plan is 6 hours, though ideally, I’d like to stretch to 8. Back home, I topped up on food and water. While out on the course around Collie, I make sure to run past water fountains each lap to stay hydrate while on the move—building good habits for August.
11:00 AM – Lap 4 (26.84km total): Legs still feel great. I’m heavily focused on keeping the pace down and conserving energy to get cleanly through today’s run. Honestly, if I keep feeling this good, I might just push into the evening for a full 12 hours.
12:00 PM – Lap 5 (33.55km total): A great start to the fifth hour. I've been mixing up the routes, exploring different parts of Collie and running around the beautiful Collie River. As I passed the 30km mark, it hit me—this is officially the longest distance I have ever run in my life. Ever. Yay! Toward the end of the lap, however, the legs started feeling a bit heavy. Sitting down at the end for nutrition and rest felt amazing. Changed into fresh shoes and socks. Still no chafing or blisters—a great sign.
1:00 PM – Lap 6 (40.26km total): This is where reality started to kick in. My body reminded me that I haven't been running long distances for very long! The legs are definitely heavy now, and there's no chance of me breaking into a pace faster than 7:00 min/km. I ran along the river from town toward Lions Park, passing right behind the Collie Senior High School grounds. I saw some of the kids doing Phys Ed on the oval and waved. It’s a great motivator to remember exactly who I'm raising funds for. Got home, rested for 10 minutes, and refuelled. I’d be happy stopping now if I could—but the best training happens right at your limit when the real discomfort begins.
2:00 PM – Lap 7 (46.97km total): Headed out again. By the end of this lap, I will have run nearly 47km. My legs are sore and fatigued, but there is absolutely no cramping, which means the nutrition plan is working perfectly. That is a huge relief. Just tired, sore legs. But I keep moving. I made it back and sat down for 10 minutes to prepare for the next one. Feet are holding up well, and still no chafing. Happy days... despite the sore muscles. Let’s go again.
3:20 PM – Lap 8 (53.68km total): Part of my "rest" break was spent picking up one of my sons from school in the car, but then it was straight back out for Lap 8. At this point, my legs feel like they are just being picked up, "falling" forward, and being dragged along behind me. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. I started setting micro-targets to keep moving. I ran past the high school again and got cheered on by some kids playing sport on the oval—no giving up now! I stopped briefly for a quick drink at the water fountain by Lions Park, then pushed through to the end. The dream of a 12-hour stint completely vanished a few laps ago, but looking at my watch, I still have about half an hour before home duties take over.
4:20 PM – The Final Stretch (Partial Lap): Headed out for one last run, knowing it would only be a partial lap due to commitments at home. On one hand, I can’t believe I’m still moving considering how short my training lead-up has been and the massive spike in my weekly kilometres over the last month. On the other hand, I’d feel a lot more confident about August if I felt stronger right now. In just a few hours, my mindset shifted from "I can easily do 12 hours" to "I could probably force my way through two more laps, but it would be a massive mental battle." Either way, it wasn't on the schedule for today, so we'll never know! I managed to squeeze in a final 4.5km. Time to eat, recover, and dive into the data.
The Download
58km done for the day. A massive effort, and well and truly the furthest I have ever run in my life. I used to race 6, 12, and 24-hour endurance events on a bicycle in my younger years, but this is the biggest physical challenge I have taken on in over a decade.
For a first Birdy’s simulation, today was a huge success. Based on my initial running history, my AI coach was highly skeptical that I’d be ready to run for 12 hours by August. But looking at the data from today's simulation, the algorithm has updated—it now suggests that the full 24 hours is within reach!
I’m going to stick strictly to the training plan over the coming weeks. I have another simulation run locked in for three weeks' time, where I'll be aiming for a 10 to 12-hour stint to see how realistic our event goals are.
Let's keep following the dream and raise some vital funds for Youthcare Chaplaincy to help kids in WA schools! You can donate at https://www.ridiculouslygood.com.au/fundraisers/erikmellegers/ridiculously-good
Cheers and bless you all,
Erik
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Thank you to my Sponsors
$516
Miricol Paws Schnoodles And Schnauzers
$516
Anonymous
$267.25
Hennie
Well done son! 💖
$267.25
Toby Dhue
$216.50
Wright Family
Good on you doing such amazing things!
$215
Dion & Simone Fraser
Awesome 👏🏻 Simone & Dion
$200
Anthony Baker
Love your work, Eric! Helen and Anthony, Dunsborough
$173.28
Julie And Gary
Love what you do for our community Erik and I hope you achieve your goal in the run.
$170.16
Bart Hollemans
Go EPIC Eric! - Get those 160km's mate... great event, great cause, great courage!
$106.75
Toby Ramshaw
$106.12
Ash & Callum Hunter
As someone who works in a low-SES school, I can honestly say that chaplains are invaluable. The support, care, and guidance you provide make a real difference in the lives of students and families. Keep up the fantastic work, Erik!
$106.12
Martine M
$106.12
Murray Head
Every kilometer you run is helping a great cause. Well done Eric, I hope you smash your goal.
$106.12
Outta The Box Support Services
You can do this!! Well done Don’t forget to keep your fluids up
$106.12
Rob Harvey
Onya
$106.12
Tam Wiese
Go Erik! U got this. Levi & kobi
$106.12
Debbie White
I think you're a champion by having a go at this. Go well but look after yourself in the run. 😊
$106.12
Nicki & Pete Bardwell
You keep us going at bike events - hope this spurs you on in your challenge! Wishing you light feet and no blisters.
$106.12
Robert Astromsky
Best of luck with your training! 💪💪
$106.12
Jon Gregg
Great work Erik!
$106.12
Joanne Loftus
Madness!!! But I shall be cheering from the sidelines for you.
$106.12
Neil Ashton
$106.12
Robert Greig
Run with courage 💪
$106.12
Kirsten & Chappy
You’re amazing Erik! And such a great cause!
$106.12
Dale And Ken
Loving the strava-art!
$103.72
Ashley Hollins
$100
Trudi Curran
Great cause, Erik! Well done!
$86.07
Jane
$79.16
Anonymous
$55.95
N & L French
Go for it Erik! What a great cause.
$55.95
Anita And Tom Hoddell
Good on you Eric
$55.95
Peter Ellery
Great worthy cause. Enjoy too.😁
$55.95
Corry-lynne Blurton
$55.95
Bone
Total legend you are mate. Going by the size of your heart I reckon you’ll do 200km!
$55.95
Ricky Andrews
Absolute legend of a man, go well buddy. We love you
$55.95
Jenni Costa
$55.95
Caity Graham
You are amazing Erik! Loving the Strava art and watching you accumulate kms! Such a great way to raise awareness, money and to motivate others!
$55.95
Anonymous
$55.95
Simon Poli
Good luck at Birdys. We'll do our best to keep you going 😁
$55.95
Ashlee & Phoenix
Way to go Erik!
$55.95
April Cicchillitti
$54.84
Christopher Shea
$54.84
Goya
$54.84
Mel Goldfinch
Go Erik!
$54.84
Rob La Roche
$54.84
Anonymous
$54.84
Eva French
Good luck. We’ll be cheering you on at the finish line!!
$54.84
Shane Aris
You’ve got this Erik. Dig deep, don’t stop when you’re tired, stop when you’re done!!!
$54.84
Stacey Crellin
$54.84
Misha
I reckon you can do 25 hours! Good luck with it mate 🏃♂️
$54.84
Allan And Lou
What a challenge, tick it off Eric
$54.84
Sue & Greg Della
Go Eric, your a legend, a great cause.
$54.84
Sabine Bird
What an incredible mission! Awesome work, Erik!
$54.84
Deb Barton
$54.84
Richard Fraser
Good work Erik one step in front of the other 🤙 You can do it
$54.84
Sheridan Scarlett & Zane Davey
Good Job Eric
$54.84
Mcillree’s
Awesome work!
$54.84
Gordon Haywood
You're a star Erik!
$54.84
Coralie Cole And Family
You are an inspiration. Keep up the great work.
$54.84
Tamsin
Good luck Legend!!
$54.84
Kim And Steff
❤️
$54.84
Nicola Hood
Wishing you strength, stamina and success in this most worthy cause. God bless you.
$54.84
Scott Kenny
Go Erik you are a real living inspiration. We are behind you 💪💪
$54.84
Twigs & Mel
Way to go Erik! 👏
$54.84
Kristy
Awesome goal and a great cause! Good luck Erik! You’ve got this!!
$54.84
Jenny & Shane Sewell
$54.84
Fran Kenneally
$54.84
Toby
Break a leg : )))
$50
Darlene
Well done and thank you for making a difference in the lives of young people, their families and school communities.
$50
Southwest Smokehouse
Go hard bud!
$50
O’connor Family
Keep up the great work Erik. You are an asset to our community. We are Cheering you on !
$50
Teagan Roney
Amazing effort Erik! Best of luck with your fundraising and running journey 💪
$50
Bridgid Lafferty
So privileged to have you as part of our school community.
$50
David Carr
Go you good thing!
$50
Alert Driving
You're an inspiration Erik. I have no doubt you'll absolutely nail it. Cheering you on all the way! 🎉
$50
Crikey Cadel
I hope you can run as far and as fast as I can. I am the world’s best cycling crocodile. 💚🐊💰
$40
Judy Mcaullay
You are doing fantastic work Erik
$34.40
Susan Riley
$30
Jason Old & Family
Good luck Erik from the Old families
$28.81
Bec Stewart
You're amazing Erik!!!!
$28.81
Kristen Whiteaker
Fantastic effort Erik, all the best from the Whiteaker family
$28.81
Christina Coman
Good Luck Erik
$28.81
Ed Croft
Go well mate!
$28.81
Mel Lasisz
$28.43
Erik Mellegers
$28.43
Taj & Mya
Go Erik!!!
$28.43
Anonymous
Love u Eric your a amazing person and Chaplin!
$28.43
Natasha Bourgeois
Well done mate
$28.43
Kate
Good luck buddy!
$28.43
Kirsty Whiteaker
$28.43
Mark
Good luck I hope you raise your target 👍🏻
$28.43
Shane Starling
What a challenge - g'luck sir! 🫡
$28.43
Laurel Dhu
Thank you Erik
$28.43
Anonymous
$28.43
Mandi Young
$28.43
Jo Rinder
$28.43
Pete
Good luck mate. All the best and just keep being that bloody legend you are.
$28.43
Stu P From Pedal Prix
Awesome effort mate
$28.43
Jan O’brien
Good luck Erik 👏👏
$28.43
Nathalie Laurendeau
Go Erik ! Love your work ! 🤙👊
$28.43
Darren Ecclestone
Well done mate
$28.43
Sandy
$28.43
Sofia
Well done Erik!
$28.43
Wannaporn
$28.43
Russell Horlin
Good stuff mate! Luv ya work!
$28.43
Yest
That’s amazing mate! Take care!
$28.43
Spl Rig
Love your work mate 👌
$28.43
Anonymous
$28.43
Marg
Love your work
$28.21
Den Morrison
Good onya Erik. Inspirational!
$23.81
Brooke Ellery
Incredible Erik! You're a legend no matter how many kms you do!
$23.50
Jemma
Good luck Eric
$20
Vanessa Glover
Good on you Erik!!! Rather you than me running that kind of distance 😊
$11.92
Josh
$11.80
Brooke Burek
Good luck
$11.80
Melissa Annandale
Good luck Eric. The youth in Collie are lucky to have you in their corner.
$10
We’ll be cheering you on in front of our cozy warm fire place!!