Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Illness forces television star out of charity run

Bay of Plenty Times
5 Aug, 2011 08:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Running close to a marathon each day for a week has been no mean feat for the boys on the Many Miles For Mary team, which pounded the asphalt through Tauranga yesterday, raising money for Ronald McDonald House.
Led by Jamie Milne, the team - which also includes Shortland Street star
Ido Drent (Daniel Potts) - left Wellington on Sunday bound for Ronald McDonald House in Auckland, which provides accommodation for the families of young patients in the Starship children's hospital.
Tauranga became a special pit stop for the runners who were reunited with Drent at McDonald's Restaurant after a viral infection forced him out of the race on day two.
After going home to recover, Drent was waiting on Cameron Rd for teammate Andrew (Flea) Koolen, who began the first 20km leg for the day five kilometres south of Te Puke.
Having started running at 6am, Mr Koolen arrived at McDonald's shortly before 9.
"I've got the cold one (leg of the run) every single day so I get the pitch black for the first hour and then the sunrise, which is beautiful," he said.
The 40-year-old was in good spirits and due to begin his second 20km for the day near Cambridge at 2pm.
"It's phenomenal what the body can do and what the mind can do if you give into it," he said.
Mr Koolen said losing Drent had been a "harsh blow" both as a runner and as a drawcard for support for the charity event.
Before the event he said the team members had mentally prepared themselves to run 30km each a day, but replacing Mr Drent had not been an option.
"If one of us couldn't make it the three of us would continue and finish it," he said.
After four months training for the event Mr Drent was philosophical about being forced to pull out. "It's about the whole journey. It's not about just finishing the event," he said.
Known for his support of World Vision, the actor took four weeks off to take part in Many Miles for Mary. While he said the event was a good physical challenge having a public profile also meant a level of responsibility.
"Because I've been blessed with a bit of a profile I need to use it to help those around me. I know it can be taken away from me tomorrow. It's about using my profile to do something lasting."
For him success was about fulfilling his passion, rather than seeking fame. "I love performing. I'd do it in a theatre in Te Puke if I had to. For me it's about the art and the craft of acting. As soon as it becomes about being famous you've missed the point," he said.
At 10am yesterday Mr Milne, who has organised the event in memory of his grandmother, Mary, for the past three years, returned to the exact spot Mr Koolen had stopped at, ready to run over the Kaimai Range.
"The footstep that I have stopped is the footstep we have started again," Mr Koolen said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty TimesUpdated

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

12 Jul 06:00 AM
Sport

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

12 Jul 03:37 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

12 Jul 06:00 AM

These snakes are highly venomous – the public and pets should keep clear.

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM
Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

12 Jul 03:37 AM
One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

12 Jul 02:27 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP