THE BIKE TEAM AND EXTREME WALKERS
By Dave Roberts
UPDATE SINCE FIRST PUBLICATION:
THE Extreme Walkers group of prison officers from Casuarina Prison have broken the record for walking the Bibbulmun Track.
Prison officers Ken, Uwe, Dave, Ted and Russel walked the 963km track from Perth to Albany in 16 days, 15 hours and 40 minutes, beating the previous record by about a day.
Four of them finished their record walk on 6 November with Ken bowing out after 600km with a knee injury.
Uwe said the track was much more physically demanding than any of them expected.
“There were hills everywhere,” he said.
“We walked to midnight through 300-400m high hills, through swamps and through sand dunes that we had to run up to avoid slipping back.”
Uwe said the toughest part of the journey was near Possum Brook where it took five hours to walk 6km.
The group usually walked 55-60km a day from 5.30am to 11.30pm.
“Everyone had foot pain, some had hip problems, knee pain or shin splints, we just had to push through it,” Uwe said.
Uwe said there were many supporters along the way and they collected several hundred dollars for Bluey Day during the walk.
Meanwhile the bike team have taken Dave Roberts to task noting that the route mentioned in South West Life didn't cover nearly all of their journey. The discussion was short and I didn't get clear what else they'd done, but I do know that the prison and other contacts put their hands in their pockets, and the Children's Leukaemia cause is the winner from it. Even without breaking a world record, these guys have raised a figure for the foundation which they and everyone at the prison are proud of.
This time there were no big injuries, and the track was testing on the machines. The guys returned in pretty reasonable shape, just in time to take potential recruits for the next trip on a training run and show them how dangerous (and costly) it can be. There have been a few laughs on the training runs, and the plans get bigger and better, but the main facts remain, there a bunch of people out there who really care about making a difference and are prepared to do some pretty extreme things to get a good story going and to make some cash to help fight childhood diseases.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
I’ve sat for a little while and thought about what it is about prison officers that means that quite a number of them are going to get involved in serious (and tough) leisure pursuits.
I’m guessing that a lot of it is about the fact that they must stay at a reasonable level of fitness for the odd occasion when something strenuous happens, but that most of the work is done with the mind, so it’s easy to go to seed if you don’t train out of hours.
Others, when I raised the question, guessed it might be that they feel the need when getting out of the prison environment to do something that they see as different and positive.
Really, I don’t know why, but within a short period of time I’ve heard of two groups who are undertaking substantial efforts to raise funds for worthy causes, and they’re both linked to the South West, so you should hear about it and have a chance to help out with sponsorship.
Three Prison Officers from Bunbury are soon going to take to the Mundabiddi trail, WA’s mountain bike trail that will ultimately run from Perth to Albany. They are raising money for the Children’s Leukaemia and Cancer Research Foundation, and a quick word with them suggests that this is just a taste of what’s to come. The plans for bigger things are under wraps, but there’s no question that once this one comes together they’ll be finding new and exciting challenges that they can ring their mates about, tell the odd whopper and extract sponsorship for sick children. But for this time, in early October they’ll tackle the trail on their mountain bikes and Ride from Jarrahdale to Collie. It’s three days and two nights on the trail, and while there will doubtless be the odd saddle sore, no one is saying they’re daunted.
Another bunch in the same job, but from a different prison, are planning an even bigger exploit. Having started in what seems a similar way, the extreme walkers have set their sights on a walk that would test the ambitions of anyone who wasn’t either in great shape, or maybe too silly to know better. The group is setting out to walk end to end on the Bibbulmun Track, more than 960 km, much of it through the South West, in 16 days. Like the bike riders, they are using the venture to raise money for a worthy cause, this time the Princess Margaret Hospital cancer and burns units.
Though the feat seems a big ask, the extreme walkers have had some practice. The “Extreme Walker Fundraising Group” grew out of a desire to combine a recreational activity with fundraising and at the same time, raise the public profile of prison staff. The group seeks to undertake fundraising walks that are unusual and distinctive. The walks usually support the Bluey Day Foundation with members of the Police and other service agencies to raise money for the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children cancer and burns units. A team member participates in the annual Bluey Day – Head Shave held in August each year.
Their first walk was conducted in 2003. Assisting the walkers is a support crew, medical personnel, behind the scene organisers and sponsors. Places on the team are keenly sought and participation is by invitation. Each walker individually undertakes to walk the full distance. Up to now there have been 2 walks of 560 km, each taking 14 days, and one attempt by a team of 6 to crack the world non stop walking record (of more than 6 days). On the record attempt, two walkers added more than an hour to the record.
This latest is clearly a big effort, they’ll walk for only two extra days, but expect to cover about 400 km more distance.
So the Prison Officers are out to do something for the community. They are eager to push themselves and it seems clear that they won’t be stopping once these targets are met. If you want to send a message of support to either group you can do so through the author at South West Life. Donations can be made by direct credit on either of the buttons below, and there’s a certain challenge that’s been laid down for other groups..... are you as good as the screws?
Donate to the Extreme Walkers
Donate to the Bike Team
September 2005
