Greg Andress, 62, drives a truck six days a week, mostly in the Queensland outback and on his day off puts his trusty shoes on and runs 15km.
This fitness fanatic also competes in long distance events and recently completed a 21km half-marathon in one hour and 50 minutes at a Townsville running festival.
Over the past three decades I have yarned to many drivers and would have to rate Greg as amongst the fittest.
Most people of Greg’s age would be content to play lawn bowls or golf rather than partaking in a sport like marathon running.
This dedicated truckie has worked for Cement Australia based at Townsville for 25 years and in June was the recipient of a special recognition award by the company.
“The state manager came up from Brisbane and gave a presentation, which was truly appreciated. I like my job and Cement Australia is a great company to work for,” he said.
While Greg is slim and fit and generally in good health, he has fair skin and has had several skin cancers removed by doctors. He advises people who go out in the sun to slip, slop and slap.
“Skin cancer awareness is important. In August 2015, I had an aggressive squamous cell carcinoma in my cheek muscle. I had an operation to remove it, then radiation five times a week for six weeks, which completely flattened me,” explained Greg.
“Cement Australia were very good to me during this period, allowing me to get to doctor’s appointments and treatment times. A massive thanks to the allocation team.
“I’m very lucky, I have made a full recovery and can keep working and doing my hobbies.”
When we chatted recently, Greg was parked up at the Townsville Port Access Road hook-up pad in his 2022 Mack Super-Liner.
“I have been out to a mine near Cloncurry and do western work most of the time,” he said.
He rates the 100km stretch of the Flinders Highway between Hughenden and Richmond as the most challenging to travel.
“It is very rough,” he said.
Greg likes stopping at the Liberty Roadhouse at Richmond, 500km from Townsville.
“It has good road train access, clean showers and good food,” he said.
While running is his major recreation when off work, Greg also has a Harley Davidson bike which he gets to ride in events.
“On Saturday August 24 I rode my Harley Street Glide from Kurrimine Beach to Kurumba in a day. The weekend after I rode down to Thargomindah to start a five-day Poker Run,” he said.
Regarding football, Greg says he barracks for both the NQ Cowboys and Manly Sea Eagles in the NRL.
“I had a relative who played for Manly,” he said.
So which of them would he support if Manly played the Cowboys?
“I live in Townsville so it would have to be the Cowboys,” he said.