Dentist gets his teeth into a new hobby

In the 1990s, dentist Peter Burrows left the UK to “visit” Geraldton for a short windsurfing holiday.

So far, it is a vacation that has lasted 24 years.

“Geraldton was my first port of call on this holiday and I just ending up staying here,” Burrows said.

“I’m 57 now . . . still windsurfing.”

The water sport enthusiast, keen squash player and dentist recently landed a new hobby — running.

He has been slapping on high-vis and running an Olympic distance of 42.2km up and down Geraldton foreshore in the mornings to prepare for marathons.

When Geraldton Harriers Club cancelled its annual RunFest earlier this year due to lack of volunteers, Dr Peter Burrows thought “I can’t let all this training go to waste”.

So, the athlete registered with the most convenient marathon he could find, Braveheart’s 777 Marathon on July 1.

The money raised by the marathon will fund an organisation that supports sexually abused children, but for Burrows, the run is about, well, the run.

“I’m not doing it specifically to fundraise, I mean, people can donate if they want, it’s for a good cause,” he said.

“But for me, I just like running.”

For more information about the marathon fundraiser, visit bravehearts.org.au.