Meet The Redlands Man Gearing Up To Run 7 Marathons In 7 Days

Caitlyn Davey • July 8, 2025

 Dave Roby finds it hard to turn down a challenge. The Redlands gym owner signed up for the seven marathons in seven days across seven Australian states after stumbling across the challenge on a charity website.   He’s got a changed perspective on life, after nearly dying in 2016. Speaking on the Rebuild Health & Fitness podcast, Roby says: “You never can take anything for granted. I thought I was invincible from a fitness point of view – I could do anything, and then this happened, where I’m struggling to walk a 4m hill.” Roby was hospitalised with pneumonia, his lung function down to 3% capacity. He contracted a disease while travelling and says things quickly deteriorated. “I went away, on a trip to the UK. On Christmas Day, we went into the Black Sea - swimming.” A few days later, on the trip back to Australia was when things took a turn. He says: “As soon as we got to the airport on the 28th, I remember saying ‘I’m not going too well,’. When we got to Singapore, I didn’t talk to anyone or eat anything. By the time we got to Brisbane I hadn’t eaten anything, for about 36 hours.”Roby landed in Brisbane, and his parents rushed him to the emergency room. But they didn’t discover what was wrong, or how bad it was in the initial stages. “I went to hospital, stayed there for about four hours and they sent me home. Next thing, I’m back in the hospital, this time they brought a specialist in to me and said ‘listen, we need to get him to the Mater [Hospital], his lungs are starting to fail,’ I was completely lethargic, I couldn’t move, I was vomiting everywhere, I was sweating, I wasn’t sleeping. I thought; I am dying here. I’m not coming back from this. I can’t explain – I didn’t think I was still kicking. I though this is me. This is where I fade out. I got to the hospital, went straight into ICU.” The outlook was so bleak, at one stage, Roby’s family was even brought in to say their goodbyes. But he managed to get through it and bounce back – eventually. But recovery was a long road.   He says it took nearly 12 months for him to get back to feeling normal and training again. And now, he’s become an unstoppable force. He’s signed up for the seven marathons in seven days, he’s owner of Velocity Fitness in Capalaba, owns Power Supps retail stores, launched a café, and is always looking for his next challenge and working with charities. He says: “I just go for anything now, and it’s just ‘make it happen, do whatever you have to do to make it happen and if you die trying, you die trying’.” He’s not the typical runner archetype, measuring around 6-foot tall and hovering around 98kg on the scales, but it won’t stop him running the 777 – that is, seven marathons in seven states in seven days.  “Velocity works with a charity every month, for the 12 months of the year, we choose a different charity for each 12 and I ask the gym in December, for the year to come – I say nominate the charities you like to work with. One of our members, her job is to work in the realm of kids who are getting sexually exploited for pornography. She mentioned Brave Hearts, so I looked into it, just to see what the charity is all about. I saw they had this 777; as soon as I saw it, I was like ‘uh oh, I’m going to think about doing this’.” He quickly signed up for the challenge and is training, preparing for the feat, which begins in Perth on June 28, Adelaide on June 29, Melbourne on June 30, followed by Launceston, Sydney, Canberra and then finishing on the Gold Coast on July 4. “It’s a test for me. It’s always easy to work in a comfortable environment. For someone who can swim, it’s easy to do 1000m to raise money. For me to do 42k is hard enough, and then to do it seven times in seven states, with no sleep and having to fly…” His philosophy is simple – his suffering is less than that of the benefactors of his fundraising. “The fact that I’m going to be in an environment that I’m not massively comfortable nor wanting to be in, I just relay that back to the kids – these kids are going through what would be in most people’s eyes, the worst scenarios of all time. For me, if I’m thinking I’ve got to hurt to go for a run, I’m all good.” Hear more about Roby and his adventures on the Rebuild Health & Fitness podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you stream your podcasts.  You can connect with Roby on Instagram, or see the website to support his fundraising.     

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July 22, 2025
If you live in Wynnum or Capalaba , chances are you’ve seen a bootcamp in action — high-intensity sessions in parks, with lots of burpees, sprints, and shouting. While bootcamps can be a fun way to get sweaty, there’s a reason more people are choosing structured strength training instead. At Rebuild, we often meet people who’ve jumped from one bootcamp to another, chasing results they never quite achieve, or can’t maintain. Here’s why strength training, not bootcamp-style fitness, is the smarter long-term approach for your health and body. 1. Progress Over Punishment Bootcamps often focus on burning calories and pushing people to their limits every session. It feels intense — but it’s usually random. There’s no plan beyond “go hard”. Strength training is different. It’s measured, progressive, and adaptable . Whether you’re lifting a barbell or doing bodyweight movements, the goal is to build skill, strength, and confidence over time. You're not punished for where you're at — you're coached toward where you want to be. 2. Stronger Muscles = Better Results Cardio-heavy bootcamps might help you lose weight quickly, but they rarely help you build muscle, and muscle is the key to long-term fat loss, strength, and mobility . When you train with resistance (weights, bands, or bodyweight), your body becomes more efficient. You burn more calories at rest, move better, and feel more capable in everyday life. And unlike bootcamps, strength training actually preserves lean mass while you're in a calorie deficit — which matters if your goal is body composition, not just weight loss. 3. Individual Coaching Matters Most bootcamps have one instructor yelling instructions to a big group. There’s rarely time to check your technique, let alone adjust for injuries, experience, or confidence levels. At Rebuild, our group sessions are coach-led and purpose-built . We take time to teach proper form, scale movements to your ability, and track your progress. You're not just surviving a workout — you’re learning how to move better and train smarter. 4. It’s Not Just About Today’s Workout Bootcamps often lack structure. You show up, do something exhausting, and leave. There’s no continuity or long-term planning. Strength training follows a programmed approach , meaning each week builds on the last. You’ll have sessions designed to improve specific movements and outcomes — whether that’s lifting more weight, increasing core strength, or mastering your first pull-up. That structure keeps you consistent, motivated, and injury-free. 5. Sustainability Over Shock Tactics If you’re tired of the “go hard or go home” mentality, strength training is for you. It’s adaptable to all ages, bodies, and goals . You’ll get fitter, stronger, and more confident — without burning out or breaking down. Ready to train with purpose? If you're looking for something better than a bootcamp in Wynnum or Capalaba , join us at Rebuild. We coach real people — not fitness models — to get real results. 📍 Structured training 📍 Expert coaches 📍 Community that has your back You don’t need to be fit to start. You just need to start.
July 22, 2025
A lot of people have completed a marathon but how many people have collapsed at 40km?

Sometimes you do everything right, and shit still doesn’t go to plan.
 Last weekend I ran in the Gold Coast Marathon, my first ever marathon. I trained properly, my body felt relatively good (all things considered when preparing to run 42.2km), I carb-loaded, and my race day nutrition was dialled in.
 I was ready.
 We set off. Jess and the kids met me at different points on the course with signs, the atmosphere was great. I loved seeing the kids with their signs. Pacing felt on point. The first 21km? Easy. I felt great. Maybe I should’ve drunk more water, but I didn’t think too much of it at the time.
 At 25km, I felt slower, but pace wise I was still holding well. I’d kept telling myself throughout the day "The race starts at 30km." And let me tell you, it does.
 By 30km, the sun was out, and I was starting to struggle. My watch started glitching so I had no real idea of my splits. I thought I was slowing down a lot (turns out I wasn’t), but the effort to keep the same pace suddenly felt 10x harder.
 I hadn’t taken on enough water. Usually, I can get away with lower fluids. Not this time. Dehydration crept in. hard.
 At 35km I was in survival mode, one foot in front of the other, flicking between moments of pain and little short lived waves of “let’s go.” But by 39km I was delirious. I could see the finish line, I hit the 40km mark (where I thought enjoyment might return to finish), and I collapsed.
 I was gone. Scary stuff.
 The last few hundred metres were a complete blur. All I remember is the crowd, the medics, and about five paramedics suddenly around me. I was vomiting, shaking, confused, in and out of it. I had this overwhelming, indescribable feeling, and honestly, for a moment, I thought I could die.
 My memory went. I couldn’t recall the day, the year, where I lived, or how to spell. I only knew who Jess and the kids were, and that I didn’t want them to see me with wires in me. 
 My temperature had hit 40°C. Blood pressure crashed. Thankfully, the medics and paramedics were incredible, I had a drip running into me within 10 to 15 minutes.
 As I already knew, I’m stubborn. I wanted to run it all. Not walk. Not stop and breathe and In hindsight, I should have. 
 Seems like my mind was just a bit stronger than my body on the day. I never thought I could push myself there in all honesty. 

Am I gutted? Of course, I was only 2km away but I gave it everything I had on that day. Heat stroke, exhaustion, and dehydration got me. 

I am always reminded here of the quote ‘The man in the arena’ look it up if you need. 
 Will I run 42.2km again? Yes, I feel I need to. 

Would I do things differently, now I’ve run 40km under race conditions? You bet, lessons learnt. Always lessons. Never be scared to not succeed. Be scared to never try in the first place. 
 We go again.
By Caitlyn Davey July 8, 2025
You Need To Earn The Right To Be Good At Something
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