Showing Up – Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable by Nedd Brockmann
My book review on Nedd Brockmann’s first book.
“Not many people can run across a continent, fewer still can make you feel like you could too.”
If you have not heard of Nedd Brockmann and you live in Australia, you must have been living under a rock. Picture a 23-year-old sparky from the country town of Forbes in rural NSW, sporting a mullet that could double as a wind sock, grinning like trouble is his best mate. In 2022, he ran almost 4,000 kilometres across Australia, averaging 80 to 100 kilometres a day, to raise over two million dollars for homelessness. He battled searing heat, headwinds that felt like running into a hairdryer, infections, injuries, and days when walking was barely possible… and yet, he kept showing up.
Nedd was not an elite runner when the idea took hold. He was just a bloke who wanted to test himself and do something that mattered. The spark came from a desire to help those sleeping rough, combined with a healthy dose of “why not?” The planning was basic by pro-athlete standards, no fleet of support vehicles, no million-dollar sponsors, just determination, a small team, and a willingness to figure it out on the road.
That is the beating heart of this book. Showing Up – Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable is not really about running. It is about stripping away excuses, leaning into discomfort, and finding freedom in discipline. As Nedd puts it, “The hardest thing in life is to start… the second hardest is to keep going when it sucks.” On Day 3 of his run, in “the most pain I have ever felt,” he discovered something unexpected: “The freedom is in the discipline.” And when asked how he deals with relentless discomfort, his answer is pure Nedd: “Well, give me more pain, come on, come on.” These are not neat motivational slogans, they are lived truths, forged kilometre by kilometre across the country.
The pages are full of grit, but also full of joy. The sheer delight of a chocolate milk after 90 kilometres. The quiet moments when the outback stretched endlessly in front of him. The surprise of locals turning up roadside with signs, snacks, and cheers that carried him further than any energy gel could. There were bad moods, swearing fits, and moments where quitting was tempting, but the cause, and the people it would help, kept him moving forward.
What makes Nedd stand out is not just what he did, but who he is. In a world where Steve Irwin’s infectious authenticity is gone and his kids are admirable but carefully polished, Nedd fills a gap we did not know we had. He is raw, funny, and unfiltered. He swears, he stinks, he suffers, and he laughs at himself through it all. That authenticity is magnetic, and it has inspired thousands who will never run a marathon, let alone across a continent.
When the run ended at Bondi Beach, he was met by a crowd and a roar of appreciation that proved his effort had captured the country’s imagination. More than two million dollars raised, countless conversations about homelessness sparked, and a new public figure Australians could rally around, one who made people believe in doing hard things for the right reasons.
You do not need to be a runner to take something from this. If you have ever stared down a challenge and thought “I can’t do this,” Nedd’s story will prove you wrong. Business leaders will see the value in turning up consistently. Students will learn the power of starting before they feel ready. Anyone facing a personal battle will find hope in the idea that you do not have to be extraordinary to achieve something extraordinary, you just have to keep showing up.
I finished it feeling two things. Relief that I did not have to run across a continent. And a renewed determination to push harder in my own lane.
I’d give Showing Up – Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable by Nedd Brockmann five stars without question. Read it, feel it, and then pass it to someone who needs a push. The world could use more Nedds.
