Running for Remembrance: Honouring the ANZAC Spirit

ANZAC Day – 25th April Commemorates the Sacrifices Made by Australian and New Zealand Service Men and Women

ANZAC Day in Australia is a day of reflection, commemoration and remembrance of service members’ sacrifices. In honouring the ANZAC spirit, every year on the 25th of April, a service at dawn marks the moment in 1915 that some 20,000 Australian and New Zealand troops landed on the shores of Gallipoli, Turkey.

Gallipoli was the scene of the first major military action engaged in by Australian and New Zealand forces during World War 1. Dawn services are held across Australia and New Zealand, and in towns and cities around the world, including Gallipoli and France, to remember those who never made it home. ANZAC day services honour a commitment made 109 years ago never to forget the fallen. It honours that promise, now enshrined as the Ode of Remembrance: a recitation of an excerpt of the poem For The Fallen, written by Laurence Binyon (1869 – 1943).

It has become a day for all Australians and New Zealanders to pause, to remember, and to honour the sacrifices made by every individual who serves in the Defence Forces of their nation. The commemoration extends to those who have served in every conflict and theatre of war and peacekeeping since 1915.

These operations include, but are not limited to: World War Two, the Vietnam and Korean wars, Bougainville, Malaysia, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Iraq, and Afghanistan. It is not a day for political ideology and grandstanding; it is not a day for protest; it is not defined by racial differences. It, most emphatically, is not about glorifying war.

Why ANZAC Day is Not a Day of Celebration or For Protest

The soldiers, sailors, and aviators who serve the nation in the defence of our sovereignty do so knowing that should circumstances dictate, they too, may be forced to pay the ultimate sacrifice. This commitment should not be discarded, it should never be a topic of protest or argument, of ridicule or contempt. Save that for the politicians who commit their nations to conflict.

Armed conflict around the world yields no true victors. The machinations of government, political leaders, terrorist groups, militia, and dictators are beyond the scope of the individual defence force service member to argue or proselytise. I can speak only for myself and of my experience, but I can anecdotally state that neither I nor any military colleague of mine ever extolled acts of genocide, murder, torture or other crimes against humanity.

ANZAC day is a day of remembering those who died in the defence of the values of Australia and New Zealand, of the sovereignty of the two nations, and who deserve solemn respect on this one day of the year.

Despite some of my own experiences, I honour the ANZAC spirit

I joined the Australian Army in December 1998, at 18 years of age and with no real idea about what life in the military would entail.

My service was punctuated with the best of times, the worst of times, and everything in between. I was twice deployed during my service on military operations overseas: in East Timor and the Solomon Islands. I was also unfortunately subjected to incredibly poor treatment including sexual harassment, assault, discrimination, and bullying.

That is not what I want to talk about this ANZAC day. I want to talk about the ANZAC spirit, why I will always honour it, and how I draw parallels between running and military service.

Running and Military Service

I was not drawn to running naturally. Nor was I drawn to military service; it was a viable option for me as it is for many whose families have also served, with my father serving in the Royal Australian Air Force, and my elder brother and sister serving in the Australian Regular Army. At the time of my enlistment, I was a university student, hopeful of commencing a career in the Victoria Police when I was old enough to apply. Coincidentally, I had to run once I joined the army. Basic army recruit training includes physical fitness tests and challenges, involving a fair amount of running. The Army Basic Fitness Assessment (BFA) was at the time a biannual requirement including sit-ups, push-ups, and a 2.4km timed run.

I had never engaged in structured physical fitness training or exercise until I joined the army. My childhood experiences of sport were limited to school carnivals once a year when I would try my best to win a ribbon. Joining the army was a baptism of fire in terms of physical training. I barely scraped through the minimum requirements. Then I struggled with shin splints, sprained ankles, lack of fitness, lack of physical prowess and a significant lack of enthusiasm.

Eventually, though, I learned to love running. During deployments overseas going for a run was my only opportunity for solitude. It was my only opportunity for the physical release of the stresses of being deployed. It was my only opportunity to change out of my camouflage uniform and into something resembling civilian clothing, if only for an hour or so each day.

How running allows me to honour the ANZAC spirit

As an avid runner now in my early 40s, there are strong connections between the characteristics I have as a runner and that I had as a soldier.

The discipline, commitment, and resilience required to train and participate in distance and endurance running events mirror those same qualities required of service personnel. It is doing the hard work, giving all of yourself towards something greater than the individual, it is picking yourself up and forging on regardless of the obstacles and challenges you might face along the way. Marathon running, I would argue, is quite a bit more rewarding than military service. Although medals at the end can be a tangible reward, I don’t remember spectators cheering or free bananas at the end of any military exercises or operations. There is however camaraderie, esprit de corps, shared triumph over adversity, and plenty of early morning wake up calls. And, aside from the starter’s gun marking the commencement of a marathon, there is usually no other form of gunfire.

Running can help veterans transitioning to civilian life

Although I transitioned from the military some time ago, running has been a constant throughout my life. In fact, I embraced running even more once I discharged from the army.

The transition period for veterans is gradually becoming recognised as one fraught with challenges as our sense of identity, belonging, and purpose can feel compromised. The recent Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide highlighted in their findings the importance of providing support to transitioning military members.

Running, and indeed any form social sport or physical exercise can benefit veterans immensely. It provides what Dr Dan Pronk,�special forces doctor, author, speaker and TV personality, refers to as the “three punch combo”. Physical activities such as running benefit our physical, psychological, and social well-being, all three critical for veterans during the transition from military to civilian life. For more information about how veterans can become involved in community sports that support them, there are some great resources at Invictus Australia.

Honouring the service and camaraderie of women in the military

I have mixed emotions about my service in the military. But I am eternally grateful for the privilege to train, work, and serve with some of the most incredible, dedicated, intelligent, compassionate, and professional women in Australia during my time in the military.

We are at a time in history when the safety of women in Australia is in the spotlight. To date in April 2024, 26 women have been killed at the hands of men, most of whom were known to their victims. It is a dreadful and poignant reminder to reflect on the strength and resilience of women; especially those who serve in our military.

The experience of women in the military is as unique as it is diverse. The women I served with for the most part were resilient, tough, compassionate, funny, hard-working, professional, adaptable, and strong.

In a male-dominated field, women’s opportunities in the military are limited and discriminatory practices are still often accepted as normative. The women I served with, however, displayed courage, good humour, and integrity, and personified the ANZAC spirit. It was my honour to serve as a woman in the Australian Army.

How you can honour the ANZAC spirit

I would urge those who wish to protest about political ideologies, and social injustice, who wish to push an agenda for a change to the Australian flag, or for Australia becoming a republic to pause this ANZAC day. I urge you to pause and consider the freedom you have to launch such a protest on this day, on any day, in this nation. How that freedom has been afforded? The sacrifices made by young Australian men and women over the last 110 years play a part in your freedom.

If you feel like it, go for a run. Enjoy the freedom we have to run in relative safety anywhere we please in Australia.

Please remember the legacy of ANZAC day and honour the spirit of the ANZACS. If you want to learn more about the true meaning of ANZAC day, attend a dawn service. Acknowledge the promise made in the Ode of Remembrance:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest We Forget