He now lives and works in Te Puke as an app developer and IT intern at Addiction Pet Foods.<\/p>\n
Degel said 60km was a great goal, but he wanted to \u201cpush myself further\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did the maths and the official 60km works out to be about 2km a day. I thought, why not add a zero?\u201d<\/p>\n
Two kilometres a day became 20km every day for 30 days. <\/p>\n
Degel said he wakes up every morning at 5.30am for his first 6km run or walk. He also walks to and from work \u2013 about 4km \u2013 then walks or runs another 6km after work, before a final 4km after dinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cBreaking it up like this makes it much more manageable, and it means every day starts and ends with some movement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Degel said his biggest challenge had been his footwear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been doing this in my Adidas Sambas or old basketball shoes, which definitely aren\u2019t made for 20km a day. Getting proper running shoes is next on the list.\u201d<\/p>\n
Degel\u2019s running history consisted of training for and completing a half marathon in Brussels, but he stopped running afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never done anything close to this kind of distance.\u201d<\/p>\n
He had not done any training either. <\/p>\n
Johan Degel is walking 600km for Movember.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been active, but mainly through weightlifting and basketball. <\/p>\n
\u201cSport and competition were a huge part of my life growing up, and at university I rediscovered exercise as the perfect counterbalance to spending over 10 hours a day in the library.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said exercise has always been his outlet.<\/p>\n
Degel decided to take on the 600km challenge because one of his best friends had struggled with his mental health.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen it first-hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the outside, everything can look fine. You hang out, do stuff, and laugh together. But you can still feel the darkness sitting underneath. That\u2019s a big part of why I\u2019m doing this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Degel had already raised $110 of his $500 fundraising goal, which he said was \u201camazing\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said he had \u201czero expectations\u201d when he began.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was aiming for maybe 20 followers, mostly friends and family, and we\u2019re now at 50 across Instagram and TikTok. That\u2019s not a lot by social media standards but put it in perspective: 50 people is a big group to follow along and cheer you on every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
His social media account name, \u201cj.vs.jay\u201d, was inspired by the idea that his biggest obstacle was himself. <\/p>\n
\u201cNobody else can hold me accountable for this; it\u2019s on me. I believe willpower plays a huge role in building a strong mind, and posting every day keeps me honest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Donations can be made at: https:\/\/nz.movember.com\/team\/2511999.<\/p>\n