Fitness instructor Claire Harrison unites Bridgewater on Loddon with active events
The slow demise of rural sporting clubs put Claire Harrison on a mission to give locals more reasons to get together and stay active.
Claire Harrison knows there’s strength in numbers.
In Bridgewater on Loddon, population 340, she is on a mission to improve the mental and physical health of her whole community. And in the process, she’s attracting people from across the state to visit her region, northwest of Bendigo on the fringe of the Mallee.
“Health and wellbeing is my passion. I love helping other people find ways to be active,” said the 37-year-old mum of three.
“And I know it is so important, not just for our physical health. There is a quote that says exercise is the cheapest antidepressant there is; and it is so true.
“Our sports clubs are dying and if we lose those connections we traditionally got through team sports, it won’t be as great a place to live.”
Claire has organised large-scale events in her rural community, from fun runs to triathlons, to give locals another reason to come together and keep active.
Her current project is Wycheproof’s legendary King of the Mountain race, which is returning this September after a 35-year hiatus. Claire is volunteering as co-ordinator, “doing all the back-end stuff” from securing permits to dealing with VicRoads, to ensure it runs smoothly.
“I grew up hearing about the event,” she said. “You drive through town and there is a statue of a man with a sack on his back. You think, ‘this must have been a huge deal’.
“It is a real positive thing; if we can get 300 people training and exercising for something, that is just wow.”
Mt Wycheproof may be the world’s smallest, at 42m high, but it’s still a huge challenge, Claire says. Competitors must complete a 1km dash uphill carrying a sack of wheat – 60kg for men and 20kg for women – on their shoulders. She said there would be something for everyone, with kids’ races, flat sprints and a wheelbarrow race as well.
The event is sure to be a big hit if Claire’s past form is anything to go by. She organised Bridgewater’s Run for Resilience two years in a row, with more than 400 people taking part in May this year.
“The oldest was 96 and the youngest was six months, males and females, right across the spectrum,” she said. “We are not only giving locals something different to work towards, we are attracting people to our town.”
As an Active Farmers fitness teacher, Claire has run classes three days a week on the local oval for the past six years. The local Run for Resilience was founded in tribute to one of her class members, Lesley Morrison, who tragically passed away in an accident during the pandemic.
Claire said it was a great privilege to help people prioritise their health.
“It’s not always about the exercise,” she said. “In a small town, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to catch up.
“If you have healthier happier people, you will have healthier happier communities.”
Claire is a nominee in the 2023 Shine Awards, a partnership between The Weekly Times and Harvey Norman that celebrates Australia’s rural women. If you know a woman who makes a real differene to her rural community or industry, nominate her in the form below. Find out more about the Shine Awards here.
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