Running for Amira and The Shepherd Centre

Even if that includes running 14 grueling kilometres in his first City2Surf, on Sunday, August 11.

Matt, 32, was born with a mild hearing loss, requiring hearing aids, and, as a child, he suffered social isolation and teasing.

He felt "devastated" upon learning that Amira hadn't passed her Statewide Infant Hearing Screening (SWISH) test and later that she had been diagnosed as profoundly deaf.

"Even though my diagnosis is not profound like Amira's, growing up with and personally experiencing social as well as communication difficulties that come with hearing loss, switched my empathy into overdrive and it hit me hard," he said.

Amira, from Canberra, was a strong candidate for cochlear implantation and underwent surgery at seven months of age.

A week later her implants were activated, hearing her family's voices for the first time.

"It was a beautiful moment for our family. Since then she has since been learning and developing her understanding of these sounds really well with the support of the staff at The Shepherd Centre in Canberra," Matt said.

Matt has set up a City2Surf team called Electric Waves, inspired by his niece's cochlear implants with a goal to raise $5000 for The Shepherd Centre, a children's charity focusing on early intervention for babies and children with hearing loss.

Funds raised will support all children of The Shepherd Centre - including the centre in Rivett, as well as across NSW and in Tasmania , who access the centre online.

Matt had attended The Shepherd Centre as a child, so the family was familiar with early intervention therapy to support a "spoken language future" for Amira.

"Knowing what The Shepherd Centre does for children with hearing loss and their families really means a lot to me personally," he said.

"Every little bit counts towards making a huge difference.

"This is a cause that not only helps these children directly but also their families and everyone they will eventually impact in their lives as they grow older."

Matt, who is a hiker but not a runner, said Amira would be his motivation as he followed the iconic course, from the Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach, including the infamous Heartbreak Hill at the half-way mark.

The team includes other aunts and uncles of Amira.

"She'll be on all our minds as we're running," he said.