Bedgerabong ultramarathon runner Nedd Brockmann has been named Young Australian of the Year at a national awards ceremony in Canberra, recognition of a movement that has raised almost $10 million and helped 1000 people into housing.

Nedd’s work has grown from personal response to homelessness into a nationwide effort, driven by a simple but powerful vision: an Australia without homelessness.

“In a country as prosperous as Australia, why is it that 122,000 people sleep rough every night?” Nedd asked while accepting the award.

“That number should stop us all in our tracks.”

His concern was sparked after moving to Sydney and seeing people sleeping rough each week on his journey to TAFE.

Nedd couldn't look away, he took action.

In 2020, while working full time as an electrician, he ran 50 marathons in 50 days, marking the first step in what has since become an extraordinary journey.

That journey gained further momentum when Brockmann met We Are Mobilise founder Noah Yang, whose vision was to introduce Australia’s first direct cash transfer program aimed at ending homelessness.

Mobilise just needed the funds to make the dream reality, so Nedd decided to run across Australia for the cause.

“Three-and-a-half years later we are just a few thousand dollars short of our first $10 million target,” Nedd said at the awards.

He also revealed that Mobilise’s Kickstarter program has now helped its 1000th person into housing.

Yang described Nedd and what he has inspired as “absolutely transformative”.

Nedd has made incredible physical achievements and the nation has come along for the journey.

In 2022, he ran 3,952 kilometres from Perth’s Cottesloe Beach to Sydney’s Bondi Beach in just 46 days. In 2024, he returned to the track, running 1000 miles around Olympic Stadium in 12 days.

From those efforts, Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge was born, encouraging people across the country to push themselves while fundraising for homelessness initiatives.

“Of all the things I’ve done, I would absolutely say the Uncomfortable Challenge I’ve set up for everyone else is 20 times cooler than any run event I’ve ever done,” Nedd said.

“It feels a thousand times better to give than take and I truly, truly believe that.”

Australians have responded in large numbers.

“That is the beautiful thing about this country,” Nedd said.

“37,000 people donated to my first run across this country, then we had 20,000 people partake in the uncomfortable challenge, so there’s a lot of people opening their heart.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony in Canberra, Brockmann acknowledged fellow State and Territory recipients across the Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year and Local Hero categories.

He also thanked the Australia Day Council, as well as his family, friends and supporters, crediting the love he grew up with as a driving force behind his work.

“No one chooses to be homeless, no one deserves to be either and I truly believe that not a single human being would choose to be on the street,” Nedd said.

“It is in my heart to make sure we fix this thing.

“There is a long way to go but I believe the opportunity this award brings me is to connect with a new audience of people - without throwing myself into the metaphorical fire - that will hopefully see the very real possibility to make a homelessness-free future for Australia and it all starts with showing each and every Australian, no matter their circumstance, that very love I felt as a kid.”