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Who runs the world? Tim does

Former lawyer and now ultramarathon runner Tim Franklin was a guest on The Callover. Photo: Geoff McLeod

Tim Franklin, dubbed Australia’s Forrest Gump, is a former lawyer turned ultramarathon runner, triathlon coach and motivational speaker who’s become one of eight people to have quite literally run around the world.

The Callover spoke to Tim about his inspiring adventure as the podcast turned its focus to mental wellbeing.

Now, before we get into the team who runs the world, I’d like to hear about Tim, the lawyer. What drew you to the law?

“I was studying at university, studying accounting degree business, majoring in accounting. And I got to the end of that and I was like, I don’t think that’s for me and I don’t think I’m ready for full-time work yet. A few of my mates are studying law … one has a grad position available. So I said, let’s do it. So that’s how I started and I really enjoyed it, to be honest.”

How long did you practise for? And what did you enjoy about those years and what did you find most challenging?

“So I think I was practising for about 13 years. The thing I’ve most enjoyed about the law was the people I worked with and the clients I had. And they’re the ones that became mates for life. That was easily the thing I loved about it. The thing I found most challenging about it for me was probably sitting behind a desk for long periods at a time.

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“And there’s people that love the law, and I probably wasn’t a person that loved the law. I enjoyed it and I enjoyed the people I work with. But I’ve found that the combination of I’m really the devil in the detail and sitting at a desk all day wasn’t my cup of tea clearly.”

So when and why did you decide it was time to take a step away from the law?

“I was private practice for a while and then moved into in-house and I was in-house for a long time like eight years, seven or eight years. And in that time, I felt like I was moving from a lawyer’s lawyer to like a commercial manager into like a shop position because I was doing a lot of employment-related matters.

“And so it’s probably a gradual move away from strict lawyer to commercial manager. And then an opportunity came up where I could coach athletics and triathlon on a block relatively full-time basis. So I probably went part-time of both, to be honest. So that’s when I moved. Four or five years ago.”

And how did your legal training help you tackle that new chapter in your career?

“Well, I think the legal training helps with everything, right? I think your ability to speak in public and be comfortable talking to groups of people and have the confidence to do it, I think your ability to analyse a situation and come up with a response also helps. And then obviously negotiating and arguing with the athletes and staying calm and composed when it’s an irrational situation.

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“I think having the legal training has helped not just with like just life in general, you know, your ability to as simple things as like reading a lease. If you’re moving into a house or whatever, and just understanding what the verbiage is across anything you do in life. I think the legal training has been awesome.”

And so Tim runs the world. Have you always been a runner?

“Only for the last probably 20 years or so before that … complete opposite of a run, a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle … not enough of movement. So particularly unhealthy. And then 20 years ago I started and I basically haven’t stopped since.”

And what made you decide to start?

“I was just really unhealthy and arguably unhappy. And a friend of mine said, Let’s just go for a run. Let’s just start. And I was like, Yeah, let’s do it like that. I was an active kid sort of in school, and then I got a few injuries coming out of school and stopped moving completely. So it was just a matter of starting again.

“And, and we did. And it was a tough, tough ride. And I was particularly unfit. But yeah, we just mentioned let’s go for a run. And then we said, let’s do a triathlon. And here we are 20 years later.”

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There’s a big difference between doing a run, doing a triathlon and running around the entire world. When and where did that desire come from?

“So I had been running for about 10, 12 years in triathlon for 10 or 12 years. And then in 2007, and I was actually competing in a race across the Simpson Desert. And there was a gentleman there by the name of Tom Dennis. You mentioned earlier that there’s eight people that have run around and that Tom is the only other Aussie to have done it and he was in this race.

“Okay. So and I didn’t know he’d done it. I didn’t know it was a thing. So I started talking to him. And in 2007 and he was like, Yeah, I’ve done this. He was the second person ever to do it. And at that time he was the fastest person to do it. And I was like, This is awesome.

“This is an adventure that I want to go on and sort of just became obsessed with it from there. And so 2017 is when.”

Take me back to the night before you set off on this adventure. What did you think the next year and a half would look like?

“Nothing like it was. I was really, really nervous. And I don’t often get nervous about, like, physical endeavours because I really enjoy it. Like, I do it because I love it. But I was really nervous. It was a huge undertaking and that support crew and so many people are taking time out of their life to support me.

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“So I was just really nervous and and I knew it was going to be challenging, but I was really looking forward to the fun and the adventure of it. And it was so fast for a little bit here, but if I’d known how hard it was going to be, I don’t think I would have done it, to be honest.”

“It was so much harder physically, mentally and emotionally than I ever could have possibly fathomed. But yeah, the night before I can remember I was just because I was still packing out my house to to leave it everything behind and just disappear. So yeah, everything nerves about, you know, budget people, all that sort of stuff was running through my head.”

And what were you hoping to achieve by this whole thing?

“Well, two things. One is it was a personal challenge, and I wanted to do it for me and push myself and go to see the world. A sort of a well-worn path, probably for most lawyers is school university work. So I didn’t have a gap year or not that, you know, you should have a gap year necessarily, but I didn’t have any break.

“So I was like, this will be like, Well, I’ve got the opportunity. Let’s just go and do it. The second one was I want to get the world moving. Like me, exercising has changed my life, like the the benefits of it. I can’t even I can barely put into words This is so great that I what it’s done for me physically, mentally, emotionally.

“But the people I’ve met along the way, the doors it’s opened, the places of pain because of it. So I want the world to move.”

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I think it’s a great message to get out there because as lawyers, our jobs are sedentary by default. How can we incorporate more movement into our world? And why is it important that we do well?

“Movement does so much for you, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, being outside, moving or in a gym, whatever, but outside moving in the sun. Surround yourself with like-minded people who are more often than not, people that are move more positive, bunch of people who build a better community.

“So if we are a better community, we’re a better people. Lifting each other up. Ideally, that’s what that’s what I would love for everyone to move for, build a better community. So ultimately I’ll leave the world better than when I got here. I’d like that. That would be the legacy.

“Yeah, we’re talking like that. But I think sedentary workplaces, it’s quite like, how do you get to work? Can you ride a bike? Can you walk to a bus stop? So I used to live just outside of the city and work in town, and I would see people, you know, in a high rise building, getting a lift with a motorised scooter, get out of the lift, walk to the front door, get in a matter of a scooter all the way into their office building, into a lift up, like take 50 steps.

“Yes. So instead of walking to work or walking to a bus stop or whatever it may look like, doesn’t have to be walking or running or riding or whatever, but just move when you can take the stairs instead of lift like once a day. So up or something. Just that. That’s a very simplistic way to look at it.

“But it’s also time the day to go have a game of tennis or do a gym session or take the dog for a walk or walk with friends or go, I have a friend of golf. I’ll do whatever I like.

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“Just get out. Just move. It doesn’t even have to be for long. It could be 15, 20 minutes, 30 minutes a day. It’s just movement and then find something that you’re passionate about too. And do that. Like I’m not an advocate of running for the sake of running. If you don’t like it, don’t do it. Life’s too short to do too much stuff that we don’t like and like.”

And at one point I think you went from snow and 50kmh winds in Eastern Europe to the heat of summer in Asia. Do you cope with the different terrains and climates and how was that to manage?

“It really had it was like -11 degrees. When I left for a lesson. Romania, I was -11. I had something like 80 days straight of below, like sub-zero temperatures across Europe and then flew straight from there into Malaysia and it was 37 degrees and 93% humidity. And I felt like, I don’t know what running into a brick wall would feel like, but that’s like just it was just a punch in the face.

“When I walked straight out of the airport, I was like, I can’t how am I going to do this? But the body is amazingly adaptable and resilient. So it just took a couple of days, but it just adapted to the weather that I had in and then just got moving around. And I can’t control what the weather is either, so I just control the clothes I’m wearing or how much I’m drinking or what I’m eating or how I’m looking after myself.

“So I just got to control what I could control. I control what I control. What I wear a control how much fluid I’m taking it, how I’m keeping cool, whatever the weather is, the weather is.”

Can you tell me about some of the most strange or memorable moments from the run?

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“Well, the weather was outrageous and I like I went from like, yeah, it was 66 degrees was the hottest. -23 was the coldest for floods. Got hit by a blizzard like a whiteout, a tornado in the States.”

And then the police escorts and the dog attacks.

“The dog attacks. Over hundreds of dog attacks like to a point where I was running through Romania with like a stick in my hand for hundreds of kilometres because they would just run at me and I don’t know what the dog’s thinking.

“The police escort a guy across a bridge so the locals didn’t yell at me. That was in New Zealand. That was awesome. I got picked up by the police and taken off a highway in America that I wasn’t meant to be running on. But apart from that, there wasn’t really anything. I never felt danger. I got a gentleman walked up to me and asked if he could borrow my phone somewhere in America because he just got out of prison.

“And I was like, There’s no prison. There was no prison around here. I have no idea what’s going on.

“He was walking in the opposite direction in the middle of nowhere towards me. I was like, Yeah, mate. So I just let him use my phone and had a good chat with him and told him to stay out of trouble. And if he had to need a lawyer, he’s my number. Yes. Interactions all the time. But never, never did I feel unsafe.”

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So what was the best part of the whole thing?

“That’s two fold. One was the people I met, not just from all walks of life who either had no idea who I was or were fully invested in what I was doing. I just wanted to be a part of it and just hearing their stories and what they were bad and how they got to that particular point in their life.

“While I owned this ride at this time, meeting me, which was cool. And then the places I saw, like I went so far off the beaten track, like there was places I walked into and I had never met an Aussie before or and where nomadic people were, I’d so 2 to 2 that, that was, that was pretty cool.”

And what was the most challenging part of the whole thing?

“So I started in early December and then in March of 23 or, or April of 23, I got a phone call from Mum and Dad to let me know that my dad, who had been previously ill, had terminal cancer and and had three months to live. And that time they told me I had an injury in my leg as well.

“So really, really bad timing for both things. But they had actually found out the dad was sick before that and had chosen not to tell me which I get completely. But I also was angry at them for not telling me, just be honest. Like let me make up the decision a bit because we had obviously spoken about I was chasing a world record.

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“What happens if things go wrong at home? What do I do? It was always you keep running, you keep running, which is really easy to say, Flippant, throwaway remark until it hits you. Yeah, until something happens. So that happened in March. And then we were like, we’re trying this treatment. We’re trying that treatment will keep going. And Dad, ever the optimist, was like, It’s fine.

“You know, people survive this all the time. You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine. I’ll be here when you get home. Sorry. We kept going. And then probably two months after that, we got a phone call. I just finished running across America and it was that. It’s like you. I’ve got two weeks to live. So you come home now?”

I was going to ask what you’ve learned from this whole experience, but I think you’ve answered that.

“Yeah, well, one other thing would be patience as well. I’m not historically, I’m not a very patient person, but one to like, again, control the controllables, be patient. If you force something to break. So have a plan and stay committed to that plan. But but you have to be patient in in any endeavour.”

Yeah. And think about what could go right. Yeah. And for those who might be listening at home and they might not know where to start in terms of setting goals and putting the steps in place to follow through. Obviously it depends on the goal that you’re setting. But what kind of general advice would you give to someone who’s feeling that way?

“Yeah, that’s that’s a really good question because what I would do is I would think I’d get them to think about what they’re passionate about, What do they want when they go in their last few days? What is it that they want to have achieved? What is it if they don’t do that regret? And that’s probably the starting point of thinking about what a goal may be, but it doesn’t have to be an almighty goal to start with.

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“I might just be, well, I want to start moving again or I want to do this at work or I want to study this just to get started. So let’s now that down. And then what I would suggest is do make really small steps. Don’t be like tomorrow, I’m going to run a marathon when you haven’t run five K ever.

“Yeah so so and that the idea behind really small incremental steps is if you start really small and you can and you’re successfully ticking them off, then you’re staying, you’re staying motivated and positive about it because you’re seeing progress. And then you look back after a few months or a year and you’re like, Holy moly, how far have I come?

“Look how far I’ve come. So then you go, All right, I’ll keep going. And then the goal will get bigger because you’ve progressed so far. So my very basic would be think about what you’re passionate about. Think about what the end goal would be, and then commit to starting right. Do whatever is the very first thing you need to do.

“For instance, if it’s a study, go home and make sure you’ve got a clean, clear, crisp study space of little distraction. Bank, clean desk, easy, right, Win, win, tick, Move on. All right. I’m going to go. I might need a new computer bank or not need me. As simple as pen and paper. I’d just really go and buy fresh pens.

“Fresh paper? It just feels good when you achieve something, you’ve done it, you’ve got new things, you’re focused. And then whilst you motivated, build a routine around it. Yeah. So you don’t get so you don’t neurological motivation to get you through. You start to rely on that routine.”

You’ve literally run around the world now. What’s the next goal for you?

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“Yeah, my big here and audacious goal now is to tell as many people the story as I can and what I learned from it. And hopefully impart some knowledge where I can help others achieve what they want to achieve. But mainly I want to get the world moving. The benefits of movement. Like I said earlier, no, all I’ll say until I, until my batteries run out is just infinite and I like exponential.

“So move. Get the world moving. That’s my that’s my big goal. Yeah. But also, I have physical challenges that I’m hoping to achieve, just crossing some t’s and dotting some eyes before I announce it. But I’m still recovering as well. So it’s been only a couple of months since I finished, so the body’s still under some fatigue, but yeah, get the world moving and spread my message as much as possible.”

Excellent. And I’m guessing I could answer this question for you, but I ask everyone at the end of every episode so what is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self as he commenced his legal career.

“I would have said, Put less pressure on it and just enjoy. Just enjoy the ride like it’s the same with my running as well. Just just really enjoy the process and enjoy the people you work with, enjoy the work you’re doing, and if you don’t, it’s okay to move on and find something that brings you that little bit of joy around work, but also be the hardest worker in the room.

“Yeah, no matter what endeavour it is, be the hardest worker in the room.”

Listen to the latest podcast on The Callover.

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