One year on from his cross-country run, Nedd Brockmann home with new book, choccy milk

Well if you're Nedd Brockmann, you launch a choccy milk to raise more funds to help the homeless, and write a book to inspire more people on to challenge themselves.

Then you bring it all back to your home town.

The world watched as Nedd Brockmann crossed the finish line of a 3953km personal marathon on October 17, 2022.

Fast forward to October 2023 and he was back to visit his primary school and launch his choccy milk outside his aunt's famed Forbes Bakehouse.

It was all happening in Templar Street on Thursday evening.

The Book Dispensary had copies of Brockmann's book, Showing Up, and he was busy signing them as kids tested themselves on the chin-up bar and taste-tested Nedd's Choccy Milk.

"Who woulda thought hey? it's very cool. I didn't picture the milk and the book but I pictured something," Brockmann said.

"To have it and to see the way it's all gone since has been really cool."

The milk is all about continuing to raise funds for Mobilise, the homelessness charity Nedd raised funds for on his run.

Considering a chocolate milk was the first thing he craved at the end of each gruelling day on his epic run, it's a good fit.

"It's a good old-fashioned choccy milk, a bit less sugar than the big ones," Brockmann said.

It's not in commercial fridges yet but we're promised Forbes Bakehouse will be one of the first places we'll be able to grab a bottle.

Nedd's vision is to raise $10 million to support people experiencing homelessness in Australia.

Brockmann also took time to hang out with the kids at Forbes Public School during the day, and his own primary school at rural Bedgerabong.

"it was really really special: it was good to see my old teachers, to ride the unicycle, play the marimbas, do all the fun stuff we used to do," he said of the trip out to Bedgerabong.

"It's the best. So good - and the kids are so excited to do things.

"People think you're at a bit of a disadvantage being at a small school but it makes you learn quicker and grow as a person quicker so I can't wait to see how the kids go, they can be inspiring and do incredible things."

And that brings us to his book, Showing Up.

"With the book especially I want people to be inspired to use their opportunities and go at life," Brockmann said.

"It's all about life's very short so you want to make the most of it,

"So the book, hopefully, if people read that that's something I want them to think."

So how has he recovered from the run? He's "ready to rumble and do another thing".

"I've taken a while to get there ... it's been six months post-run before I got back into running consistently," Brockmann said.

"But life's good.

"It's not the same when you do something like that you need to keep going and doing more things. I'm excited about it."