Heather Hawkins faced ovarian cancer at 41 and transformed her toughest moment into a remarkable journey of resilience, adventure, and advocacy.

In this deeply moving conversation, Heather shares the story of how running helped her reclaim life, conquer incredible global challenges, and raise powerful awareness for ovarian cancer.

Key Moments in This Episode:

Heather’s transformative cancer diagnosis and journey back to health.

From a 4km fun run in gardening shoes to ultramarathon adventures.

Winning the North Pole Marathon at -41°C.

Completing the World Marathon Challenge: 7 marathons, 7 continents, 7 days.

Running the Marathon des Sables, 250km across the Sahara Desert.

A 520km epic ultramarathon across Australia's Outback.

The deeper purpose behind Heather's running and advocacy work.

Her next goal: setting a new Australian 24-hour running record at age 60.

Resources & Links:

Heather’s Book: Adventurous Spirit

Ovarian Cancer Australia (ovariancancer.net.au)

Can Too Foundation (cantoo.org.au)

Calix Immunotherapy (calixar.com)

Follow Heather’s Journey:

Heather’s Instagram

Stay Connected with Jason & Execs Who Run:

Jason Hunt (LinkedIn)

Execs Who Run (LinkedIn)

Instagram: @execswhorun

execswhorun.com

Support the Show: If Heather’s journey moved you, please follow, rate, and review Execs Who Run on your favourite podcast platform, and share this episode with someone who could use a dose of inspiration.

Roger Hanney isn’t just a runner—he’s a force of nature.

As the man behind HOKA’s rise in Australia and New Zealand, Roger helped turn an obscure, oversized shoe into one of the most trusted names in running. From battling early industry scepticism to watching the big brands follow suit (looking at you, Nike), he’s lived the brand’s growth from the inside out.

But Roger’s story doesn’t stop at retail strategy and product launches. He’s also an ultra-endurance athlete who became the first Type 1 diabetic in the world to complete the 4 Deserts Grand Slam—a series of four 250km footraces across the Atacama, Gobi, Sahara, and Antarctica.

In this two-part conversation, we go wide and deep.
In Part One, we cover: 👟 The early days of HOKA and why the brand was seen as “moon shoes”
👟 Whether Nike really did follow HOKA’s lead on shoe design
👟 Roger’s mindset shift after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes
👟 What it took to build trust in a radically different running shoe
👟 Balancing brand leadership, family life, and long trail runs
👟 Why sometimes, you just need to give it a go

Part Two goes deep into the 4 Deserts Grand Slam, what it takes to suffer well, and how adventure has shaped Roger’s view on leadership and life. Stay tuned.

This one’s for the shoe nerds, the adventurers, and anyone who’s ever asked, “Can I really do this?”

🔗 Connect with Roger

📸 Instagram – @roger.hanney
🌐 HOKA ANZ – hoka.com.au | hoka.co.nz

🔗 Connect with Jason & Execs Who Run

🔗 Jason Hunt – LinkedIn
🔗 Execs Who Run – LinkedIn Page
🌐 execswhorun.com
📸 Instagram – @execswhorun

📣 Like this episode?

If Roger’s story hit a nerve or got you thinking:
✅ Follow the podcast
⭐️ Leave a review
📤 Share it with someone who’d love it

And don’t miss Part Two, where we take on the deserts, the suffering, and the mindset behind it all.

Michael Batko has never taken the traditional path. From working as a hotel entertainer in Greece to becoming a kickboxing runner-up in Austria, his early life was fuelled by curiosity, energy, and a desire to connect with people. That mindset carried through to a global career in consulting and finance—before he made the leap into Australia’s startup scene.

After helping scale MadPaws and Expert360, Michael now leads Startmate, one of Australasia’s most influential startup accelerators. He’s helped shape a founder-first ecosystem, backing over 270 startups and building a vibrant community across Australia and New Zealand.

But beyond business, Michael is also a runner, a new dad, and the founder of Startup Striders—a running group that brings startup operators together for parkruns and post-run chats. In this episode, we explore how he uses running as a tool for focus, clarity, and connection—and how becoming a father has transformed his leadership and priorities.

In this episode, we cover:
🏃‍♂️ What he learned from kickboxing, hospitality, and working across cultures
🏃‍♂️ How he broke into startups by playing five-a-side football
🏃‍♂️ Building Startmate from a Google Sheet into a high-impact accelerator
🏃‍♂️ The power of doing fewer things, better — and killing off distractions
🏃‍♂️ Why Startup Striders has been key to consistency and community
🏃‍♂️ How fatherhood has changed the way he thinks, works, and leads

This is a conversation about choosing what matters, showing up with intention, and carving space for clarity—on the run and in leadership.

Connect with Michael:
🔗 LinkedIn – Michael Batko
📝 Substack – batko.substack.com

Connect with Jason & Execs Who Run:
🔗 LinkedIn – Jason Hunt
🔗 Execs Who Run – LinkedIn Page
🌐 execswhorun.com
📸 Instagram – @execswhorun

Let us know your biggest takeaway from the episode — message us on LinkedIn or Instagram. And if you’re enjoying the show, follow and share Execs Who Run — we’ve got more unscripted conversations coming your way.