overview
Rodney ‘Rocket’ Cottam is a former serving veteran who served in the third battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Australian Army, for more than four years.
He has been involved in the ZERO600 fundraiser since 2023, and is passionate about supporting veterans and their families through sport and connection.
challenge
His life drastically changed in 2004 when he was involved in a serious motor vehicle crash while driving to his barracks in Sydney. The crash left him with a permanently paralysed left arm.
“In the blink of an eye, I went from being an elite soldier, in the best physical shape possible, to completely losing all movement and feeling in my left arm, from shoulder to fingertips,” Rodney said.
SPORT
Refusing to allow the injury to define him, ‘Rocket’ used running as his tonic.
It took time for him to rediscover his rhythm and balance due to having no strength or support in his shoulder joint, but 20 years on from his accident Rodney now runs up to 100km per week.
In 2022, Rodney ran an epic 350km in five days, starting at the NSW Southern Highlands and finishing at Mt Kosciuszko. He raised more than $35,000 for Invictus Australia. This was not enough for Rodney, in 2023, he ran from the Coffs Harbour to the ANZAC Memorial in Sydney, bringing his fundraising total up to almost $100,000 for Invictus Australia.
RUN ROCKET RUN
In 2024 Rodney embarks on his third trail run challenge in support of Invictus Australia. Rodney will be running for 7 days, covering 560km, averaging a massive 80km per day.
Rodney talks about how these challenges have given him a sense of purpose in life, and how running has helped to aid his recovery.
As a veteran himself, Rodney is passionate about resilience and Invictus Australia’s mission to strengthen veteran wellbeing through sport.
When we believe in ourselves, we are capable of so much more than we think. We can push ourselves, physically and mentally, way past any perceived threshold. And this journey—this commitment to ourselves—is an incredibly special and rewarding one.”
