If you're like me just the thought of taking a morning jog is enough to hit the snooze button and pull the sheets over my head? Imagine then the motivation required to wake up to the prospect of running 50km day in day out for one year.

That's exactly what Deborah De Williams is doing to achieve her goal of raising $300,000 for breast cancer research.

The journey will see her run 17,621 kilometres as she circumnavigates Australia with her faithful (and just as motivated) border collie, Maggie, before arriving back at her home in Tasmania in April 2011.

To date she has achieved more than half her fundraising target, accumulating $185,733, and Port Douglas has already contributed significantly to that tally through three fun runs organised by Port's own Sarah McConnell.

"When I started these fun runs I wanted to find a charity that had a fitness theme. I found Deborah on the internet and it went from there,' she said.Ms McConnell has organised three fun runs to date which have contributed around $2,000 to Ms De Williams' 'Running Pink' cause.

Ms De Williams' story is remarkable. She became the first woman to walk around Australia when she raised funds for Kids Help Line and broke five world records in the process.

On returning home she discovered she had breast cancer which required intensive treatment. The treatment was successful, and, realising she had a second chance, she decided to raise funds for breast cancer research by running around Australia.

This is Ms De Williams' second attempt at the journey after her first in 2008 was interrupted by Maggie who tripped her over in Elliot in the Northern Territory. With a broken left foot she kept running to Darwin, over 800 kilometres and ended up with a stress fracture in her right foot. 

Finally, on 6 June 2009 after running 224 days no stop and 10,824 kilometres, she decided to stop only after strict doctors orders. Even though the journey was disrupted, Ms De Williams managed to raise over $100,000 for breast cancer research.

"I nearly decided not to run again, as I thought after surviving breast cancer, raising $100,000 during the first half around Australia and going through a serious injury maybe I had done enough. But I received an email through my website from a lady who told me that if I could survive breast cancer and run again after breaking both my feet she could survive secondary breast cancer and I knew then I had to finish what I started." she said.

"Ultimately this journey isn’t about the records, it’s about me trying to give hope to women going through breast cancer, maybe inspiring survivors’ that there is life after breast cancer and honouring the women who have lost their lives to this dreadful disease."

Ms De Williams hobbled into Mossman yesterday with her support crew, her proud Mum and Dad helping with fund raising efforts and ensuring their daughter can do it all again today.

Ms De Williams will have support on the Mossman to Port Douglas leg as training groups from local runners including Sarah's Inspire Fitness, Energise Personal Training  and Actin Fitness training groups are all starting off at 6am to show their support for the effort Ms De Williams and the cause.

You can follow Deborah's journey through her Running Pink website.