Since its launch in 1999, around 100,000 Australians in various capital cities have pushed themselves to their limits with Oxfam Trailwaker – the ultimate endurance challenge. The challenge sees small teams walk either 100k, 50km or 30km through some of Australia’s most picturesque landscapes to raise funds supporting Oxfam’s lifesaving work to eliminate poverty.
Team members from our Programmed community have been regular participants in the challenge, and in its final year, a small group of our toughest team members took to the trail for one last time.
Always up for a challenge, the small group volunteered to take on the grueling 100kms (with some needing a bit more convincing than others!). Their hard work paid off, having raised an outstanding $2,000 for the event.
Our gusty Trailwalker participants in 2024 included walkers Mark Yates, James Reynolds, Dave Curgenven and Charles Dodds, along with support team members Anita Teo-Tavita and Sarah Dodds.
To find out more about the experience, we caught up with Charles Dodds, who had the following to share.
“The most amazing thing about an event like this is the team you are with,” said Charles. “The four of us along with our two amazing support persons came together to achieve a really tough ordeal.
Walking 100km over 26 hours really shows your own character and the character of those around you. We started the day in the dark at 6:30 am in the pouring rain, made our way through the pack, and by the afternoon had completed 56km. After a visit by St Johns ambulance and a team member being stopped due to injury, the remaining three of us headed into the night to complete the remaining 44kms, battered and with very sore feet.
For me, the resounding memory throughout was the team – we supported each other through all our ups and downs. No one wanted to quit, and we all pushed through our personal barriers to achieve something quite remarkable.”
Although this was the last iteration of the Oxfam Trailwalker challenge, Charles recommends getting involved in similar challenges for charity. “The distance doesn’t matter, as long as it challenges you. It’s great to do something like this for charity, but it’s also amazing to see what you can do with the right team around you.”
What an extraordinary achievement for such a fantastic cause! A huge congratulations to the team.