Short Fat Chick in Ohoka

Ever since Kerre Woodham ran the Auckland Marathon in 2006, she has inspired women across the country to pull on a pair of trainers and follow her example. She went on to run the London and New York Marathon and her book about it all – Short Fat Chick to Marathon Runner – was a best seller. She followed it up with Short Fat Chick in Paris. A media star, Kerre’s career has spanned television presenting, writing for newspapers and radio broadcasting.

We recently caught up with Kerre at a CRT’s Ladies Night, where she was ‘the fluffer’ for award winning chef Al Brown.

Kerre Woodham has never been afraid to have a laugh at her own expense. How else can you explain how she came up with ‘short fat chick’ to describe herself? Humour, wit, the quick one-liners – they are a huge part of what makes Kerre so appealing to the public.

An infusion of fun is just what quake-affected Canterbury was ready for when Kerre hit the region recently on a CRT Ladies Nights tour with one of the country’s leading chefs Al Brown. The tour included nine stops, starting at Ashburton in late October and finishing at Ohoka on November 23.

We caught up with Kerre in the lead up to the tour’s final night. With so many hours spent cooped up in a car, she preferred to spend the interview standing and stretching. “But we’ve had an absolute ball,” she said. “Al and I worked together years ago at a Wellington’s Café Pardiso where I was the maitre d’ and he was a chef. He’s good company, very easy. We’ve had a lovely time. It’s just as well we get on really because we’ve been sharing a rental car and we’re both very forgetful!”

The tour saw the pair entertaining at halls and hotels, in front of several hundred people, every Wednesday and Thursday night for five weeks. Kerre steps into the role of cheeky blond with consummate skill; she makes it look easy but admits it takes focus and preparation. “I’ve got to have a blow wave before I go on stage so I’ve had one done in every town! Seriously, I need to feel like I’m looking nice otherwise I couldn’t do it. I have to have a pretty frock on and I prefer to have my make up done too. It’s like my uniform – the one I wear when I take some risks.”

November was firmly declared No-vember by Kerre, meaning no alcohol. Much as she felt tempted to join the women having a glass or two at the end of the night, she knew better than to give in.

“When you need to get up at 7am the next day and you’re traveling, you can’t afford to be hitting the booze.

I’ve had twenty speaking engagements alone this month – I find it hard to say no. The things I get asked to do are so cool so a night on the couch just doesn’t seem like a valid option.”

She’s been dry for four months this year, giving up prior to the Paris Marathon in April and in the six weeks leading up to her daughter Kate’s wedding.

She got her start in public speaking at the tender age of 19, having fallen in as ‘the young ingénue’ with an influential comedy crowd including Jim Hopkins, A.K. Grant, David McPhail and Jon Gadsby. Looking back, she’s grateful at how they took her under their collective wing and led by example with their brilliance in front of an audience.

Within two years, she had been snapped up for

However, it was her first book about her marathon running experiences -

“I’ve had 800 letters and emails since that book came out. It’s still selling. There would not be a public function where at least two or three women haven’t come up to me to say ‘thank you’. They’ll tell me about their half marathon or how it’s made them get up and get active. I’m really proud that my silly burblings and pathetic attempts at running a marathon have inspired women.

“They all say I’m their role model. The sub text is ‘if that fat old booze hag can achieve it, then there’s absolutely no excuse for me!’”

She rates her first marathon in Auckland in 2006 the easiest one because she was scared of it, respected it and trained hard for it. “Then I inadvertently found myself running another four marathons – it’s really hard if you haven’t trained. My times reflect that; all slower than that first one.”

Not that it’s about times for Kerre. She loved the Paris Marathon this year because along the way there were opportunities to eat almond cake, drink wine, meet Parisians and savour the whole atmosphere and experience. “I didn’t have a target time.”

It’s still possible she’ll take on another one but first there’s an ocean swim series to do in 2012 with training planned to get underway this month. She laughs when recalling how she first thought a 4km swim was equivalent to 800 laps of a swimming pool – “Al said ‘no, more like 80 laps’ and so it now seems much more achievable!”

Christmas for Kerre is usually a chaotic, happy time spent with a large gathering of friends and family. This year she plans to spend it with her brother’s family in Paraparaumu.

After so much touring and public speaking this year, she’s also looking forward to spending some time at home in Auckland with her partner, Tom. “I’ve had three overseas trips this year. They’ve been great and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of it, but when I think where I most want to be – and bearing in mind that it has been a long day and a long month – I want to be home.”

Fair Go and ended up doing five seasons on the show. She left the show to take up a breakfast radio and continues to enjoy a successful radio career as a host on NewstalkZB. “It’s amazing how many women I’ve met who are radio listeners, rural women listening to NewstalkZB. I’ve been hugged to so many bosoms around Canterbury. I love that they feel they know me and I feel I know them.” Short Fat Chick to Marathon Runner – that really made an impact on the New Zealand public, encouraging women up and down the country ‘to give it a go’.

Stoked

Italian rural street food was the inspiration for chef Al Brown’s signature dish for the CRT’s Ladies Nights, Porchetta with Grilled Carrot and Fennel Seed Salad.

The experience of traveling through Italy years ago and coming across roadside porchetta for the first time left a lasting impression. Al’s version is like a mini porchetta of pork belly, flavoured with fresh and dried herbs, garlic and toasted fennel seeds.

As he demonstrated how to prepare it, Al also talked about his latest book

Al is a forthright advocate for using the fresh food and flavours of New Zealand and also taking time to prepare and cook food properly.

“I find that food is really a vehicle for getting people around the table. It’s about people and place. The harvesting and preparation of food also gives me a lot of pleasure, rather than how it looks on the plate.

“Everything is so fast and so quick now – I believe that slowing down is a good thing. That’s what lighting a fire is all about or lighting charcoal and cooking that way. It takes time and that’s time you’re spending with friends and family.”

Stoked, his restaurants (Logan Brown in Wellington and Depot in Auckland) and his passion for cooking over wood fires.

Al’s tips

• It doesn’t pay to be too precious about our recipes – they are best shared.

• Use a cast iron skillet – it will last a lifetime.

• Better eating doesn’t mean having to buy better cuts. “I find it rewarding to cook products that are not expensive but taste better than expensive prime cuts.”

• Use good quality New Zealand olive oil and don’t just drizzle it.