Townsville’s Damon Jaenke first to race the Mackay Marina Run in a wheelchair
Damon Jaenke plans to be the first to race in an NQ half marathon in a wheelchair. Find out why he thinks “not everyone has to be a Paralympian.”
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A 31-year-old Townsville man will be the first to complete a half marathon in a wheelchair at the BMA Mackay Marina Run.
Damon Jaenke has been playing basketball at an elite level for the past 20 years and competed all over Australia in the National Wheelchair Basketball League.
Since retiring from basketball, he has made the move into the world of marathons and works as part of the management team at Fitness Planet.
Born with Spina bifida, Mr Jaenke has used a wheelchair all his life.
He was also diagnosed with testicular cancer at twenty-two, which came back a second time after surgery and spread to his stomach and lymph nodes.
Mr Jaenke is a fighter with his three big passions being sports, fitness, and mental health.
With a tattoo that says ‘trust your struggles’ as his reminder, Mr Jaenke says when it comes to completing a marathon he genuinely “loves the endurance and the pain.”
“I’ve got a saying ‘When I go through hell, that’s when I know myself.’”
“Halfway through a marathon you hit a wall and your body doesn’t want to go anywhere. Your mind says ‘just do it’ and you somehow finish.”
The Mackay Marina Run, taking place on June 4 and Mr Jaenke plans to prove the flat, fast, 21.1km course can be done in the chair.
“I didn’t know nobody in the chair hasn’t done it before until about a week ago. Nobody has nominated for it. I want to do it and show them you can actually do this. The course is accessible,” said Mr Jaenke.
The 21.1km scenic course begins at the Mackay Marina, and loops through Gooseponds and over the Pioneer River, before competitors race along the Bluewater Trail to River Wharves.
After crossing the Forgan Bridge it’s a 2km race to the finish where family, spectators, and live entertainment will be set up as the athletes cross the finish line.
Coming back from a serious wrist injury, Mr Jaenke says his training as of late has been limited.
However, he recently pushed the length of a half marathon and does between 12km to 18km three times a week. He also hits the gym twice a week and doesn’t neglect rehab and physio.
Mr Jaenke plans to finish the race between 1-1.5 hours. It will be the first time he has raced in his home town and he looks forward to having his family watch him compete.
For Mr Jaenke, doing something like this will “hopefully show someone else to give it a go, either for serious reasons or just for fun.”
“Not everyone has to be a Paralympian or Boston marathon winner. They can just go out on a Sunday morning for fun,” Mr Jaenke said.
Originally published as Townsville’s Damon Jaenke first to race the Mackay Marina Run in a wheelchair
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