ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Inspiring pictures of an ageing man running a marathon while he enjoyed a few of those extremely heavy and anti-social Chinese cigarettes have gone viral this week, lifting the spirits of a local man who thought his hopes of doing the same were lost forever.
Betoota Heights man Dane Coleman said the news had him feel like his goal of perhaps running a marathon is still somewhat alive.
The 34-year-old supermarket baker told The Advocate that he took up smoking after seeing how many of his colleagues who did got to spend 10 minutes outside every two hours while he had to stay inside and man the mixer.
Though he’s cut back a fair bit, the filthy habit still leaves him short of breath.
“I can hardly run for the bus in the morning without it fucking near killing me,” he said.
“Coupled with my rather sedentary lifestyle, terrible diet and unwavering penchant for the gyprocker’s breathmints, I thought that running a marathon was all but impossible. You could have a man with a gun chase me and I reckon after a couple hundred meters, I’d be ready for him to put me down,”
“That was until I saw the news this week.”
The runner known as “Uncle Chen” became a celebrity in the dart-smoking world last week after pictures of the 50-year-old doing a marathon while smoking spread around the plant.
Chen finished the race in under four hours (which is fucked) placing 574th out of more than 1500 competitors.
“There’s still hope. I don’t need to change anything. It’s honestly a miracle.”
More to come.
