Yeppoon dad Luke Van Koutrik doing Run for Autism in October

A Yeppoon dad will lace up his running shoes to raise vital funds for Autism Spectrum Australia, a cause close to his heart.

Yeppoon Dad Luke Van Koutrik is doing the Run for Autism in honour of his son Ziggy to help raise money so other families have access to an early diagnosis.

A Yeppoon dad will lace up his running shoes this month in an effort to raise awareness and vital funds so families across the country have better access to urgently needed autism assessments.

Luke Van Koutrik is doing the 70km Run for Autism on October 21 for the one-in-70 Australians on the autism spectrum.

It’s a cause close to the heart of him and his wife Shaye with their son Ziggy, 4, diagnosed with level two autism at 18 months old.

This year’s run will be the second time Mr Van Koutrik has participated in the event.

“The most important thing for kids who are on the spectrum is to get an early diagnosis and get the help they need to thrive,” he said.

“They (therapies) are crucial, with the help of an early diagnosis they can get you help through the NDIS to help families out because it can be costly.

“I did a 42km run then (the first time) … I’ll be running around Yeppoon, probably down to Emu Park and back.”

Luke, Shaye and Ziggy Van Koutrik.

Mr Van Koutrik is a FIFO worker, but hasn’t let his seven-on, seven-off shift work impact his preparations.

He will often wake up and go for a run at 3am before starting his 12-hour shift.

“I just try and do as many kilometres as I can to get my legs conditioned to a long run like that,” Luke said.

Mr Van Koutrik started his campaign with a goal of raising just $500 but with the overwhelming support of the community he’s, so far, raised near $4000.

Local businesses have also thrown their support behind him with donation tins and sponsorships.

“I thought $500 would be good to get to but we smashed through that,” he said.

“It’s been overwhelming and mind blowing how generous people have been.

“It feels really good (to help other families), a lot of people do need it a lot more than us and any little bit can help.”

Mr Van Koutrik will run around Yeppoon and Emu Park on October 21 finishing at The Spinnaker with a community event.

If you would like to make a donation visit his Run for Autism campaign page.

Originally published as Yeppoon dad Luke Van Koutrik doing Run for Autism in October