Thirty-five years to the day after he smashed the world record for the mile, Sir John Walker has decided to enter a very different race - for a seat on the Super City council.
"I've thought long and hard about this," Sir John said. "I want to fight for my communities."
Sir John was born in Papakura and grew up in Manurewa, where his mother still lives and he runs an equestrian supplies business with his wife, Lady Helen.
The South Auckland of his youth was a vastly different place to what it is now, but where others cannot see past the crime statistics and the graffiti, Sir John sees hope.
In the past two years, he has established the John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation, which he says has put "tens of thousands" of South Auckland kids through sports programmes.
"There was a lot of crime, a lot of graffiti, a lot of kids not going to school. I thought if we could give these kids a chance, get them into sport, it might give them a new dimension.
"There's no genius about this. It's common sense."
Sir John, 58, will stand as an independent for one of the Papakura/ Manurewa ward seats in the Auckland Council elections on October 9.
"What I'm concerned about is local communities that seem to have been forgotten about and which under this new regime could be lost."
The Olympic gold medallist was diagnosed with Parkinson's shortly after his retirement from running in the early '90s, but has no worries that his health might prevent his taking full part in council business, having been a Manukau City councillor for 12 years.
"I've had my day, I've had all the adulation I need, now it's about giving something back to these kids. If we save one life of a kid by stopping him getting in trouble, we've achieved everything."
Sir John believes too much local body politicking revolves around pandering to the Government.
Decisions that are made today need to last a lifetime and beyond, he says.
"The Auckland waterfront is a classic example.
"One minute we're going to have a building there, the next minute we're not.
"One minute we're going to have a rugby stadium there, the next we're not."
Olympian to run again - for Super City
Sir John Walker announces his intentions on the 35th anniversary of his world- record mile run. Photo / Paul Estcourt
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