Helen Haines was known by those around her as someone full of energy, determination and quiet strength. Now, one detail from those earlier days feels very different after everything that followed.
Before everything changed, Helen Haines was still living the kind of busy, active life those close to her had come to expect.
The 65-year-old independent MP had spent years balancing politics, family and her commitment to regional Victoria.
But away from parliament, there was another side to Helen — one that a friend has now remembered through a seemingly simple story.
At the time, it was just another example of Helen being Helen.
Today, it carries a very different weight.
A Side of Helen Few May Have Known
ABC News described Helen as a keen runner who remained remarkably active into her 60s.
Jaime Chubb, chief executive of the Centre Against Violence for the Ovens/Murray, knew that side of Helen well.
Speaking about her fitness, Chubb said Helen was “incredibly fit” and had previously run for the organisation’s team at the Wangaratta Marathon Festival.
But one particular memory stood out.
They Expected Her to Walk
When Helen first arrived to take part in the event, those around her apparently had modest expectations.
Then she surprised them.
“When she first turned up we thought she would walk it, but she ran it.”
It was a small moment, but one that captured something about Helen’s personality — her energy, determination and willingness to quietly exceed what others expected of her.
At the time, there was nothing especially poignant about the story.
Now, there is.
More Than a Story About Running
Helen’s active side was only one part of a much bigger life.
Before entering federal politics, she had worked as a nurse, midwife and health researcher. In 2019, she made political history by becoming the first independent MP to succeed another independent in a federal electorate when she won the Victorian seat of Indi following Cathy McGowan’s retirement.
Family was equally important.
Helen and husband Phil were approaching their 40th wedding anniversary, while the family had also recently welcomed another grandchild.
Those who knew her spoke of someone deeply connected to her community, but also someone who never seemed to lose the drive to keep moving.
That is why the running story feels so different now.
Everything Changed in an Instant
On October 19, Helen suffered critical injuries after being struck by a vehicle outside her electorate office in Wangaratta.
Her husband Phil later confirmed that surgeons were required to amputate both of her legs because of the severity of her injuries.
Phil said the road ahead would be long and difficult.
Yet when speaking publicly about his wife, he returned to one quality that people around Helen had already seen long before this moment.
He called her a “fighter.”
“But we know she is a fighter, she is a determined person to do her best, with our support and love, to recover,” he said.
A Memory That Now Means Something Different
That description makes the Wangaratta running story feel especially powerful.
Helen arrived at an event where those around her expected her to walk.
Instead, she ran.
It was probably never meant to become a defining story about her.
But after everything that followed, it now says so much about who she really was before her life changed — determined, active and quietly capable of surprising the people around her.
And perhaps that is why such a small memory now feels impossible to hear in quite the same way.
Helen Haines Remains in Critical Condition
As of October 22, Helen remained in a critical condition at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
Her family continues to hope for her recovery, with Phil saying Helen’s heart and mind remain in good shape despite the seriousness of her injuries.
The road ahead may be long.
But for those who remember the woman who once turned up when everyone expected her to walk — and simply ran instead — the determination her husband speaks about is nothing new.
It was there long before everything changed.
Sources: ABC News, October 20–22, 2026.