In it for the long haul

From left:Lt Nick Griffiths, Capt Pat Heffernoon, Flt-Lt Mark Camilleri and Capt Danie Wishaw emerge from the Berowa Valley Park at last light, during the Oxfam 100km Trailwalker. Photo by Bill Cunneen, Army newspaper

By Pte Shannon Joyce

A COMBINED service team has rallied together to put a heartening effort into one of the greatest tests of team endurance – the Oxfam 100km Trailwalker at Balgowlah, late last month.

The mixed Air Force and Army team strode ahead of pain and injury to a near-completion of the marathon event as a team, to raise $1000 for Oxfam Community Aid Abroad.

Capt Daniel Wishaw, Capt Pat Heffernan, Lt Nick Griffiths and Flt-Lt Mark Camilleri composed one of the ADF’s many entries – team “Floating Support Bridge” from SME.

The challenge began early for Capt Wishaw when he rolled his ankle six kilometres into the trek.

A slight pain at that stage was the only hint of the two hairline fractures to his ankle.

It wasn’t until they met their support crew at the second checkpoint, 25km into the race, that Capt Wishaw was able to get his ankle strapped.

At the five-hour mark, the team had covered 33km and believed they were on track for a good time.

Flt-Lt Camilleri said that Capt Wishaw was feeling less than happy with his ankle upon passing the fifth checkpoint.

“Setting off from there, we slowed up quite a bit, and Dan rolled his ankle a couple more times,” he said.

“The next 12km felt more like 18km, as knees and ankles ached.”

At the 17-and-a-half-hour mark, Capt Wishaw’s condition led to the decision to pull the team, with the two remaining Army members going on to finish the race in good time.

Meanwhile, the all-female Army team of Maj Sondra Kremerskothen, Capt Dell Madge, WO2 Veronica Bates, and Sgt Megan Webber, staunch with trailwalking experience, had headed out hard for the first 56km.

Maj Kremerskothen was experiencing groin problems since the 67km mark, and unfortunately by 81km she couldn’t continue, Capt Madge said.

“By this stage 1 Topo Svy Sqn and the commando team were well ahead and we had no chance of reining them back in,” she said.

The remaining three team members made the last two checkpoints in a record time for the team, to beat their goal by 16 minutes and break their previous record by four hours, 10 minutes.

Capt Madge admits it wasn’t bad for a team carrying an injured person over 14km.

“Two are still keen for next year, but as far as the other two, they’re happy they have met with their goals and completed the Oxfam Trailwalker.”