Nat Heath used to be a winger for the Hamilton Hawks.
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He's also completed the Sparke Helmore Triathlon.
But this Sunday the 34-year-old returns to Newcastle with a different type of sporting challenge - running 100 kilometres.
Starting and finishing at Nobbys Beach, Heath will be joined by the likes of Australian distance running legend Robert de Castella along the way as he marks the 10th anniversary of the Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP).
"I've always wanted to do a 100km run and this gave me a reason to do it," Heath said.
"The idea came about when I was out for a run one day, thinking I could do 10km for every year of the Indigenous Marathon Project.
"It's going to be a big challenge but I'm looking forward to it."
Heath, born in Sydney and raised in Forster before moving to Newcastle for University more than a decade ago, played rugby union for Hamilton in 2010 but was struck down with the rare and life threatening neurological condition known as Guillain-Barré syndrome.
He recovered and came back for the Hawks in 2011, featuring in the NHRU first grade grand final.
The next year Heath did the Hunter's major triathlon event before successfully applying for the IMP.
But with the New York City Marathon cancelled late because of Hurricane Sandy, plans were redirected to Tokyo in 2013.
Heath has now done four marathons, six ironmans, including Hawaii in 2015, and two 50km races and says IMP was a major influence on his life.
"The Indigenous Marathon Project has had a big impact on my life. It's helped show what is possible and what I'm capable of," he said.
Maroubra-based Heath, from the Noongar and Martujarra people in Western Australia, now wants to "inspire others".
Sunday's two 10km circuits, one along the foreshore towards Wickham and the other along the coast, through King Edward Park and towards Bar Beach, will be done five times each.
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