Team A

Today we began our running journey from the very Heart of Adelaide – Joy-Discovery Vegetarian Café. We bid a fond farewell to the owner Sipra Lloyd and ran out of Adelaide along Rundle Street – a great place to shop by the way. Luckily Nataliya was the runner, and she was totally focused, otherwise we might have easily detoured, losing her and others to an extended shopping expedition in the city!

After running towards Gawler, our Team visited ABC Child Care Centre at Gawler. We smiled as we spotted another of our teams on the steps of Gawler Town Hall at their own ceremony with the Mayor. All the kindy and preschool children at the child care centre (aged 3-5) were eagerly awaiting our arrival…

(Sorry for being 10 minutes late, I know how hard it is to organise young children into one space all together – and keep them there!) After arriving and gazing at the torch in amazement, we decided to get a little musical and popped on the World Harmony Run CD, where we all stood up to sing along with the international choir, clap and do some actions to this catchy theme song. The children mimed the hand actions of pointing to their hearts for “we are the oneness” and of course running on the spot and holding their imaginary torches aloft.

After this we all said our cheer together: “Harmony begins with me” and then we did a lap together, running around the child care centre’s playground area. When we came back to sit down together, we spoke with these young listeners about how running makes us feel happy and meeting people along the way helps to spread these feelings of happiness and harmony. After running, when asking the group: “Do you all feel happy NOW?” one little girl started beaming and cried out “Yeah, let’s do it again!” with a face full of enthusiasm and joy. Truly the spirit of this event is felt even by those just 3 & 4 years on this Earth-Planet-Home of ours.

The children formed a friendship circle all holding hands to pass around the Torch.

The children waved us off at the fence and our team left, filled with the innocence and joy of youth; inspired and ready to continue running.

We ran into the town of Clare, where we met up at Ennes Park (next to the Town Hall) and were interviewed and photographed by Chelsea Ashmede – a reporter from Northern Argus newspaper.

Chelsea asked all five team members many questions about running around Australia and then 'reporter' became 'photographer' as the multitalented Chelsea lined us up for a Torch photo, and she only needed to take two or three shots to get what was required. A true professional!

Of course Chelsea held the Torch to make her own wish for a brighter world in which to live.

After running another 7 or 8 kms out of Clare, we headed towards Port Pirie where tonight we all camp out in tents at Port Pirie Beach Caravan Park in Solomontown at the water’s edge. We will report further after tonight’s new adventures.

– Kylie Williams (Australia)

Team B

Bright and early this morning we first drove 20 kms, then ran a further 22 kms out of Adelaide to the City of Gawler.

The Mayor, Brian Campbell, offered us a hearty welcome when we arrived. He had many kind words to say about the Run and its undertakings.

Together with the Mayor, our team then offered four Torch-Bearer awards for four worthy recipients – namely the local Kaleteeya Aboriginal Health Team...

Pat Mells...

Aaron Phillips and...

Ian Skewes.

The Mayor then presented us with a huge World Harmony Run Cake which was distributed amongst everyone present.

Immediately afterwards we ran to Hewwett Primary School where we were met at the gate by members of the Student Representative Council who then led us into the assembly hall. There Deputy Principal Sandra Jacobson introduced us to a most receptive group of students.

These children were really wonderful. They had prepared several very significant questions for us which each member of the team answered in turn. The final question was certainly the most significant: “What can each person do for world peace?”

We were then treated to a morning tea which included an array of succulent fruits and other tasty treats. Before long it was time to head out to the oval were all the children had assembled to run a lap with us. They were full of enthusiasm and cheerful as we ran around the football field.

The teachers and students were really touched by the ceremony, so much so that Mrs Jacobson contacted us later in the day to let us know that the children had proposed to regularly run a lap of the oval for fitness and peace, so that they could continue to run with the World Harmony Run team in spirit. We are very grateful to Mrs Jacobson, the SRC and all the students for making this such a special visit.

Back in our van, we proceeded to run another 65 kms in the afternoon crossing through undulating hills of green and brown fields, pausing only to take care of the extraordinary 'bag lunch' provided for each runner by one of our hostesses, Januja Reynolds from Adelaide.

It was great to run with each of us having to contribute over 20 kms. As we made our way to Port Pirie we enjoyed a glorious sunset which glowed in the distance.

– Colm Magee (Ireland)

Team C

Ridgehaven Primary School is nestled amongst the gum trees in the Adelaide hills. The children were extremely excited and enthusiastic about performing the World Harmony Run theme song with actions. Before departing to start our day's mileage this morning, we were very pleased to be able to share the joy of the World Harmony Run with the students by running with them a few times around their field.

Running in this beauuuuuuuuuuutiful scenery on our long winding road from Clare to Gladstone, we ran amongst some of South Australia’s most stunning countryside.

Along the road we met a very nice family who stopped to inquire about the World Harmony Run after they saw our Italian representative Sandro running. They felt this must be something really magnificent and were incredibly inspired to see the team running in the middle of nowhere.

Our first school visits today were Gladstone Primary and St. Joseph’s Primary who were so excited to be a part of the Run they lined up in the street displaying their artworks of Harmony and Peace to cheer the runners in. We ran with the students holding the torch around the local church and did a lap of the football oval and then into the school for our ceremony where we were pleasantly surprised with a song and an inspiring slideshow.

We spoke to the children about Harmony and Peace and they asked us many interesting and insightful questions, which impressed us considering their age.

Our warm thanks to Ros Reistein and all the fantastic teachers at Gladstone Primary School and St. Joseph’s Primary School for such a wonderful reception. It will give us tremendous energy and inner nourishment to cross the mighty Nullarbor Plain.

– Marichi Clarke (Australia)

Team Members:
Angela Muhs (Germany), Nataliya Lehonkova (Ukraine), Kylie Williams (Australia), Friederike Makowka (Switzerland), Elke Lindner (Germany), Prachar Stegemann (Australia), Shapathanal Daly (New Zealand), Prabhakar Street (Canada), Edi Serban (Romania ), Standa Zubaty (Czech Republic), Sandro Zincarini (Italy), Runar Gigja (Iceland), Marichi Clarke (Australia), Misha Kulagin (Russia), Dima Lehonkov (Ukraine), Colm Magee (Ireland)

Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.

Gallery: See more images!