Participants: Cory, Simon, Andrew, Nick, Scot, Ian, Margy, Diane, Gary, Sonia, John, Brian, Lisa, Daniel, Lisa, Gaylene, Julie, Eileen, Sarah, Neil
Support Crew: Bruce, Carmel, Ron, Nick, Katie, Ros, Carolyn, Dave
Game Day - the final challenge of the MS1000 which feels like it has gone so fast and yet Day 1 in Yarawonga seems like it was so long ago. We wanted to go out with a bang so had saved a nasty 44km as the final day's trek including what was marked on the map as the toughest section of the Great Ocean Walk in the first few hours. Due to the distance and concerns over finishing in the dark we decided to leave an hour earlier which was a logistical challenge considering the large group of participants we had for the day and the number of people who had stayed over from Day 10 and were leaving in the morning. We were in the car at 7.30am for the half hour drive to the start line and after a few photos were on our way.
We quickly realised it wasn't going to be a casual walk to the finish line when the first half took us 6 hours, with many steep ascents and many potentially dangerous descents, starting in the rain and wind and finishing in the hot sunshine. Diane's Go Go Gadget day pack got its full range of use as she worked through all her various weather ensembles. John, at 69, proved again his determination and resillience to tough it through to lunch. The lunchtime stop looked like a casualty ward with many patch up jobs on feet and many sad and sorry faces. As the original five had already covered 1003km by this stage there was a motion to abandon the third quarter of the day and head straight to the last 10km, but a quick crisis meeting refocussed everyone on what we had come to achieve and complete and each of the original five decided to have a crack at the whole thing and risk the potential of finishing after dark.
It proved to be a worthwhile risk as the second half of the day was much flatter and quicker than the first and we even had time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, including a stop at perhaps the greatest bush toilet in Victoria which had a perspex window looking out over the cliffs and ocean towards the Twelve Apostles when you were in the seated position. With glow sticks and a smile through grimaced teeth and dirty faces we all crossed the finish line just before 8pm.
In eleven days, the original five had paddled the whole Murray River Marathon course, ridden from river to sea following the Murray to Moyne course and trekked the full Great Ocean Walk (which itself is designed as a nine day walk) to cover 1029km. We had met many people and spoken to them about what we were doing and why and had increased awareness and understanding about Multiple Sclerosis. We had been joined along the way for individual days and whole legs by an array of people who we knew before the event but also people we met for the first time who wanted to come and join our challenge. They came from smal towns, interstate and even from around the corner, all united to work towards the aim of Foundation 5 Million to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis and to achieve and challenge themselves.
At the end we had achieved two of the three aims we had set ouselves. We had completed the physical challenge and proven to ourselves that we could persist and overcome (challenges faced by MS sufferers everyday) and we had spread the word about MS and increased public awareness and understanding through the countless people we met along the way and the great media coverage we recieved. The aim that remains and will continue to be worked towards is the large fundraising target we set ourselves ($100,000) which will help enable Australia to continue to be at the forefront of MS research and strive towards a cure.
In line with that you can expect to hear from us again in the future to help us reach this goal ....
Support Crew: Bruce, Carmel, Ron, Nick, Katie, Ros, Carolyn, Dave
Game Day - the final challenge of the MS1000 which feels like it has gone so fast and yet Day 1 in Yarawonga seems like it was so long ago. We wanted to go out with a bang so had saved a nasty 44km as the final day's trek including what was marked on the map as the toughest section of the Great Ocean Walk in the first few hours. Due to the distance and concerns over finishing in the dark we decided to leave an hour earlier which was a logistical challenge considering the large group of participants we had for the day and the number of people who had stayed over from Day 10 and were leaving in the morning. We were in the car at 7.30am for the half hour drive to the start line and after a few photos were on our way.
We quickly realised it wasn't going to be a casual walk to the finish line when the first half took us 6 hours, with many steep ascents and many potentially dangerous descents, starting in the rain and wind and finishing in the hot sunshine. Diane's Go Go Gadget day pack got its full range of use as she worked through all her various weather ensembles. John, at 69, proved again his determination and resillience to tough it through to lunch. The lunchtime stop looked like a casualty ward with many patch up jobs on feet and many sad and sorry faces. As the original five had already covered 1003km by this stage there was a motion to abandon the third quarter of the day and head straight to the last 10km, but a quick crisis meeting refocussed everyone on what we had come to achieve and complete and each of the original five decided to have a crack at the whole thing and risk the potential of finishing after dark.
It proved to be a worthwhile risk as the second half of the day was much flatter and quicker than the first and we even had time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, including a stop at perhaps the greatest bush toilet in Victoria which had a perspex window looking out over the cliffs and ocean towards the Twelve Apostles when you were in the seated position. With glow sticks and a smile through grimaced teeth and dirty faces we all crossed the finish line just before 8pm.
In eleven days, the original five had paddled the whole Murray River Marathon course, ridden from river to sea following the Murray to Moyne course and trekked the full Great Ocean Walk (which itself is designed as a nine day walk) to cover 1029km. We had met many people and spoken to them about what we were doing and why and had increased awareness and understanding about Multiple Sclerosis. We had been joined along the way for individual days and whole legs by an array of people who we knew before the event but also people we met for the first time who wanted to come and join our challenge. They came from smal towns, interstate and even from around the corner, all united to work towards the aim of Foundation 5 Million to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis and to achieve and challenge themselves.
At the end we had achieved two of the three aims we had set ouselves. We had completed the physical challenge and proven to ourselves that we could persist and overcome (challenges faced by MS sufferers everyday) and we had spread the word about MS and increased public awareness and understanding through the countless people we met along the way and the great media coverage we recieved. The aim that remains and will continue to be worked towards is the large fundraising target we set ourselves ($100,000) which will help enable Australia to continue to be at the forefront of MS research and strive towards a cure.
In line with that you can expect to hear from us again in the future to help us reach this goal ....
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