2008 Oxfam TRAILWALKER: Pushing the limits
By Michael Quinn *
Are you interested in putting your body through hell while helping the world's disadvantaged? Then the Oxfam TRAILWALKER is for you! Those who put their hand up for the 2008 Sydney TRAILWALKER covered 100 kms in the bushland of northern Sydney on the weekend of 29–31 August 2008.
The TRAILWALKER event is one of Oxfam's major fundraising activities and will support its work in 26 countries including Indigenous Australia. The 2008 Trail started in the Hawkesbury at Parsley Bay and finished at the harbour at Georges Heights in Mosman.
The TRAILWALKER is a team event and the four members of each team must stay together throughout the 100 kms. Competitors must to start together, go through each checkpoint together and finish together and teams that don't work together and don't cooperate will struggle to complete the event. Even though it is a very tough event, with the right physical and mental preparation, people from all walks of life can complete the course. When competitors are struggling on the track, it puts their temporary struggle into perspective as they are raising money for people who experience hardship every day.
The Oxfam TRAILWALKER Sydney 2008 was won by Adam Carter, Ian Stewart, Paul O'Connor and Toby Cogley who completed the 100km trail from Brooklyn to Mosman in just 14 hours and 24 minutes.
The team are from Paddy Pallin, one of the national sponsors of the Oxfam TRAILWALKER, and crossed the finish line just before 9:30pm on Friday evening, averaging a speed of approximately 7km an hour through the difficult terrain between Brooklyn and Mosman.
The event began in 1981 as a military exercise for the elite Queen's Gurkha Signals Regiment. It has now grown to be a global event taking place annually in New Zealand, UK, Hong Kong and Japan. The Sydney event has continued to grow and shows no sign of abating. Jane Denning, marketing coordinator, Oxfam TRAILWALKER Sydney, said: "In 1999, 87 teams took part and this shas grown to 500 teams or 2,000 participants today. The Sydney event has raised $11 million over the last nine years including last year's record total of $3.2 million." The 2008 Oxfam TRAILWALKER raised $2,47 million.
The event could only go ahead with the help of the volunteers. Volunteers hold various positions ranging from checkpoint workers, trail marshals, drivers to podiatrists, massage therapists and physiotherapists. Jane Denning said: "Oxfam TRAILWALKER is a huge logistical exercise. We could not hold the event without our volunteers – 700 are needed to help us out over 3 days." For those who are not willing to complete the 100 kms, volunteering is a great way to be involved and experience this great event.
Kathy McLinden, Oxfam's National Event Coordinator said of the 2008 event: "I'd like to thank all the walkers for their dedication and training in preparation for this year's challenging trail. There were also 600 amazing volunteers covering 700 shifts over the weekend that I'd like to acknowledge. They always had a smile and words of encouragement for the walkers even in the middle of the night. We have raised over $2.2 million so far and I would like to thank the many supporters of Oxfam Trailwalker 2008 who have donated to the teams. Please keep those donations coming in!"
The event gets a lot of repeat volunteers and a lot of the competitors are so impressed by the event that they volunteer the following year so that they can stay involved. This speaks volumes for the atmosphere and goodwill that is created by the TRAILWALKER. The experience of 2006 competitor and 2007 volunteer, Kieran White, is not unusual. "I enjoyed the 2006 TRAILWALKER and found the atmosphere infectious – the volunteers were a major reason for this. I didn't feel up to completing the 100 kms in 2007 but wanted to be involved and volunteering was a great alternative."
The TRAILWALKER is a special event and the atmosphere on the track is so unique that it keeps people coming back year after year. The competitors put a lot of work into preparation and fundraising as well as the major effort over the event weekend. But it is the work of the volunteers that enables the event to go ahead as smoothly as possible and their encouragement of the competitors is invaluable. "Oxfam TRAILWALKER is no ordinary charity event," said Leigh Stewart, Oxfam Australia spokesperson. "First, it raises around $3 million each year. Second, it's not a race. The challenge is for teams of four to walk together side-by-side for up to two days and two nights. TRAILWALKERs put in a phenomenal effort for Oxfam in their walking and their fundraising, and that is what makes this event truly unique."
More information
- View the Official TRAILWALKER photos on Sports Pix
- Visit Flickr to view more photos
- View the 2008 Results on Team Tracker
- Play the TRAILWALKER Challenge video game
- Find out about other volunteering opportunities at Oxfam Australia
* Additional information on 2008 results sourced from Oxfam TRAILWALKER website.
The Centre
for Volunteering [ABN 28 002 416 024]
Level 2, 228 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 9261 3600 | F: 02 9261 4033 | E: info@volunteering.com.au
www.volunteering.com.au