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 Lisa Usher decided to put her new-found fitness regime to good use – by raising money for the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, writes Mardi James.
When Lisa Usher decided to take up the challenge of entering City2Surf, she did it with renewed vigour. She had just quit smoking, and going to the gym had recently become part of her daily routine.
“Basically I was going out to pubs and drinking and feeling like crap,” Usher tells SX. “And just after ANZAC day, I had a really big weekend and I thought enough was enough.
“So I actually joined a small boutique gym with personal trainers. They really took me through everything. They explained nutrition and they explained what I was doing and what was happening to my body. This helped me along the way a lot.”
Usher is part of the official Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (BGF) team assembled for the City2Surf. BGF is encouraging people in the GLBT community to take part in the 14 kilometre fun run on Sunday, August 10.
Last year, more than 64,000 people took part in the event and raised $1.2 million for various charities. This year organisers are hoping for 70,000 participants.
“The benefits are awesome. I feel so much better, so much more alive,” Usher says. “When I first started, I would die after two minutes of running on the treadmill. Now, I run fifteen to twenty minutes at high speeds and that’s just normal every day for me now.”
Usher, who is known among her friends as ‘Gizmo’, says that this is her first City2Surf challenge.
“I thought I’d just get myself into City2Surf and see how it goes. And I thought I’d support the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. And of course, Dykes on Bikes are big supporters of the Luncheon Club.”
Her other passion in life is Dykes on Bikes (DOB), where she served as President in 2007.
“I have been involved with DOB for five to six years. At the present, I’m the web-mistress, but I’m still on the edge there and they’ve put their support behind me.
“I think my favorite road-trip would be the ‘Thanksgiving Ride’, where we ride around to supporters and present them with the cheque. It’s better than putting it in the mail.”
With so much on her schedule in the lead-up to the marathon, one wonders if there is any time for rest and relaxation.
“I don’t suppose that’s in the vocabulary at the moment between work and training for a fourteen kilometre run!” Usher says. “But I think riding [my motorcycle] is my relaxation, to and from work. It’s my little bit of fun on the way home.”
Usher is currently the highest fundraiser in the BGF team. And she hopes that others will join in the fun too. And even if you’re not up for running, there’s plenty of ways to help. As Usher says: “If you're not going to sweat, pay someone else to!”
The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation will be hosting a pre-race reception at the BGF offices where Team BGF members will receive BGF-branded singlets, a water bottle and some light snacks and refreshments before the race begins at 9am.
The City2Surf will be held on Sunday, August 10. For more information, go to city2surf.sunherald.com.au
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