Mark Webber Challenge

We arrived this morning and have registered. It is beautiful today but the weather is expected to get nasty later in the week.

We fitted out our bikes, checked all our new gear (clothes, shoes, bags, etc) and had a quick kayak. I am in a boat with Keith, and Phil and Richard are in the other. We’ve checked the rudder this year having had a crooked one last time.

Most competitors have arrived and we are slowly meeting everyone. I sat next to Leigh Colbert (Nth Melbourne exAFL) he is looking forward to the event but also nervous about racing 6 to 8 plus hours for 5 days.

The course looks good. Days 1, 2 and 4 will be hard. Day 2 will be particularly hard as it involves running Mt Rolland like last year (3 mountain peaks) with a mountain bike before and after, followed by a 7km kayak.

Cheers
Mark

The 2008 Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge is happening from 19 -23 November. I along with five other Telstra employees will be competing to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia.

Over the past couple of months I’ve maintained a rigid training program to help prepare for the demands that await in this big endurance event. I will be competing with Jacinta Worland - Ironman distance professional athlete for 10 years. We are competing in the three day Ambassador Cup, which is an invitational category for pairs of competitors.

Competing in such an internationally renowned endurance event is a huge honour and I look forward to participating and helping to raise money for the charities Mark has selected – the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia and the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal.

Why do I compete in the event? For me, each physical challenge provides the opportunity to raise funds for charity organisations. The Challenge is a great opportunity to contribute to the community, showcase Telstra’s superior products and services and I can show my support of a young Australian athlete who is passionate about his home country and giving back to the community.

You can help the Telstra teams raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation by clicking the Donate Now button on this website - http://www.everydayhero.com.au

You can also track the teams during the event on the Mark Webber Challenge website.

You can also visit now we are talking to read more about the teams and Telstra’s involvement.

The Telstra team

Competing in the Van Diemen Cup are fellow Telstra employees who are the defending champions of the Cup (with Keith as a new addition).  Learn about these great competitors … Keith Mearns, Mark Comer, Richard Palmer and Philip Barrett.

I am very much looking forward to participating in the event and sharing with you how we are all progressing during the event.

At the end of November I will be participating in the 2008 Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge. Jacinta Worland, previous Ironman distance professional athlete and fellow Telstra employee will be my team mate in the Ambassadors Cup. Richard Palmer, Philip Barrett, Mark Comer and Keith Mearns also from Telstra will participate as a corporate team of four.

The team (with Keith as a new addition) are the defending champions of the Van Diemen Cup. Having placed second overall last year, they have first place overall on their minds!

The Challenge was inspired by the Australian Formula One driver with a dream to create an event that combined his love of keeping fit in the great outdoors, with raising funds for Australian charity organisations. This year the funds raised from the event will go towards The Leukaemia Foundation and Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal.

The Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge is an adventure race held in one of the world’s best adventure playgrounds - Tasmania. The main event which takes in over 350km of terrain; trekking, kayaking, mountain biking and a couple of mystery challenges just for good measure, is the adventure race of a lifetime.

We are all in training mode at the moment and I look forward to sharing our progress as we prepare for the big event.

Soon building works will commence at the Melbourne Hope School located in the south east of Tianjin city, thanks to the generous contributions of our supporters and the riders. Currently there are 486 students in grades 1 – 6 at the school and they are very excited that over the coming months six grade 1 -3 classrooms will be built. The Project Hope Charity ride was a fantastic adventure, however the riders and I are really excited about seeing the funds raised from the ride benefitting the children of China. We will continue to keep you updated on the progress of the buildings and the other schools we are supporting.

“The Project Hope Olympic Charity Ride was a fabulous experience and one that I will remember as long as I live. The camaraderie, exposure to the Chinese people and excellent organisation made it a truly memorable event. Seeing the people at one of the schools that the riders and our sponsors have been able to assist was a privilege.” Peter Vial, Project Hope Rider.