Our Oxfam Team Result

The weekend just gone was spent by most of us doing our normal weekend things. But not for the four team members who decided to walk through the bush for 100km for a good cause. Once again we grabbed the team spokesman Gerry to chat about how it all went down, the pitfalls, the pain and challenge.

"On a cold, misty Saturday morning at 7am, Alex, Andrew, Louis and myself began our adventure, along with about 140 other teams of 4. Checkpoints 1 and 2 came and went without incident and soon we had 25k under our belts, with the worst part being an Oxfam volunteer at Checkpoint 2 who kept blowing a loud horn in our ears. :) The third segment was a difficult, loose gravel decent from Mt Nebo. We made it safely but some didn't. The ambulance was busy going back and forth between that gravel and the next checkpoint.

At Lake Manchester, we had not only completed the 41k that everyone else had, but we had also added on an extra 5k so we would finish with 100k total. We were bolstered by Kym, who bought our supply boxes and Alex's chicken soup. Louis and Andrew had massages and I had some blister repairs done.

We were in high spirits as we headed out into the night, but after 17 creek crossings (including one where Louis chose his own crossing area and splashed around for awhile) and a brutally long climb to Scrub Road, we were all struggling a bit, with Alex feeling it the most. At checkpoint 4 and the 62k mark, we tried to convince Alex to stay, but his heavy pack and difficulty in supplying his large frame with enough energy fuel caused him to retire. It was a difficult moment; I had hoped to get the whole team through. But I learnt that next time, we should probably stick closer together if someone feels like stopping, because it takes a lot of energy to convince yourself - and someone else - to keep going, and the whole group is needed for that.

We hoped for easier tracks from this point on, but they continued to be a series of gravelly ups and downs, except for a slightly easier section out of Gold Creek Dam. Aches, pains, and blisters increased. A great morning breakfast supplied by Kat and Zenobia helped, but by this time, sleep deprivation was sapping our strength. But we kept going and finished in 30 hours and 28 minutes. It was a great feeling to approach the finish line and see the smiling faces of friends, family, and the Oxfam team!

Thank you for all the support and donations! No Small Feet has raised over $4,000, but more is still needed. Please give what you can to help people in need: https://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/my/team/22953." 

Next time? Seems like Gerry is already planning a repeat. Well done guys.