Big boost to fund-raising target!

In the past day or two, fund-raising has picked up, with recent generous donations from:

• Julian Musgrove
• Curtis Partnership
• Glenn Everingham
• Scott Crawford
• Nicholas Wall
• Rob Parbery
• King Street Chiropractic
• Ideal Interfaces
• Meshlin Khouri
• Jamie Darwen
• Kate 'Big Mamma' Stanton
• David 'Grasshopper' Gowdey
• Miles 'And Miles Away' Campbell

Entirely thanks to our generous sponsors, we've now raised $1,295.00, more than half way towards our goal of $2,000. We may still have to wheel out the chook raffle to get there, but the world needs a few more chicken dinners.

Aussie donors, don't forget to keep your receipt for your tax deduction.

Thanks on behalf of the Glutes and Oxfam! For a reminder of how your donation can be put to good use, check out the Oxfam site.

I just need a little of your time, a little of your money, or both

Hi, it's Alan Jones here, and I'm hoping you might be able to find a few dollars to support the fund-raising I'm doing for Oxfam International in the Sydney 2006 Oxfam Trailwalker.

For the time-poor executives amongst you, here's an executive summary:

Executive Summary

1. You donate $50 or more right now (you can donate less but you're a busy executive so you can afford at least that) quickly and safely online using your credit card, and claim a handy tax-deduction before the end of the financial year (tax deduction for Australian readers only, sorry, but overseas donations also accepted)
2. It goes straight to helping Oxfam provide urgent aid
3. You unsubscribe from future weekly emails from me using the link in the email you received
4. I walk a very long way, climb a very big thing... whatever - break the Guiness World Record for eating live cockroaches as far as you're concerned - doesn't really matter as long as Oxfam gets the money and you can get back to work, right?

For those of you with more time, fewer unread emails still to read, or needing further convincing...

What is Trailwalker?
Trailwalker is an 'extreme sport' event where teams of four normal people (well, in our team, three normal people and me) try to complete a 100km walk along rugged bush tracks in less than 48 hours. Yes, that is a very long way, and no, we don't plan to sleep along the way, just push on and finish somewhere between 24 and 27 hours - 5km/hr with a few breaks to change socks/eat a sports bar.

Our team is called the Glutes For Punishment, after the buttock muscles so heavily utilised on such a long walk. You can learn more about our team members on our blog at http://glutesforpunishment.blogspot.com

Of course, just managing to make it that far without dying of fatigue is not enough challenge, so we're aiming to raise a minimum of AUD $2,000.00 from friends like you before we start. In fact, if we don't raise more than $1,000, we're not allowed to compete in the event.

There's loads more about the event, the route, and other details on the Sydney Oxfam Trailwalker site.

Who are the Glutes for Punishment?
The glutes in question belong to myself, Felicity Kohut, Bride King and Roger Crawford. Felicity and Bride work together at the Pilates studio run by my wife Mel. Roger and I play basketball together. We all like walking... phew.

What happens to my money?
If you give it to us; it's blown on nose-candy, fast cars and wild parties - you know it couldn't be any other way. However, if you donate it to Oxfam, 81% of it goes straight to helping eradicating the causes and effects of poverty, without any political or religious hidden agenda. Of the other 19% they blow 15% on further fundraising and 4% on admin. You know they can't afford a nose-candy/wild party budget on 4%, so your money's not wasted.

Even a small donation from you can make a massive difference, doing things like providing clean water and sanitation, funding vegetable gardens and training in sustainable agriculture, training community nurses, and education for adults and children. And because it comes from Oxfam, it's all provided without the usual hidden catches of, "Oh, but you'll need to accept Jesus into your hearts, of course" or "...and in return you're OK for us to dig a few oil wells, right?"

Finally, your donation helps Felicity, Bride, Roger and I set some challenging fitness goals, learn a lot about ourselves and each other, and feel like we're doing something to make a difference in the world.

Can I help?
You sure can. We'll need some volunteers to be our support crew during the walk, 25-26 August 2006 in Sydney. There's a variety of transport, food, scheduling and navigating tasks to be done and we could really use a hand.

OK, what next?
Here's our blog, and if you'd like to hear from us now and again, do nothing and you'll get an email update from our blog covering our training plans, fund-raising progress, and notes from the field. If you would rather just donate and not get updates, donate now and then follow the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email you received.

If you've read this far and still haven't made a donation, you better take care of that right now. All you need is your credit card details and a minute of your time.

I thank you. Felicity, Bride, Roger and Oxfam thank you. A bunch of basically good people with the misfortune to be in the wrong place in the wrong time thank you for the chance to make something better for themselves.

...actually, I was referring to the poor people in other countries, not the four of us.

Cheers,

- Alan Jones

Training walk report: 30km Blue Gum Flat

Flick shows why she's in demand on the catwalks
Originally uploaded by bigyahu.

Flick, Rodge and Alan headed up to the Blue Mountains at sunrise, 11 June, leaving the torrential rain of Sydney behind for the intermittent icy showers and occasional sleet of the higher altitudes.

We did Perry's Lookdown to Blue Gum Flat and back via Victoria Falls, a distance of 30km, with a considerable vertical profile. Most sensible bushwalkers would do it in two days, but sensible doesn't get you Trailwalker-ready

Our intrepid team slogged it in in about five hours, which was tremendously gratifying considering the amount of vertical distance involved. I think it had something to do with the crisp mountain air, the pristine beauty of the Grose Valley, and the Guinness and pie by the fireplace waiting for us in Blackheath at the finish.

You can get a sense of the beauty, crispness, (but sadly, not the pie and beer) in our Trailwalker photos.

Glute Four: Alan Jones

Lightbulb finally goes on above Al's head

Every team needs a captain, every team needs a coach, every team needs an inspirational leader to push them through the valley of death, up the ridge of discontent and into the checkpoint of collapsing in exhaustion.

Instead of that person, the Glutes will have to make do with Alan Jones, who's returning to Trailwalker after finishing in 2004 - it's been just enough time for the painful memories to fade.

Al's an internet geek who enjoys raising houses and a son, and when not at his computer can most often be found walking a dog or building his core strength at www.springpilates.com.au.

Bushwalking with his best mate Tony is Al's favourite pasttime, and although Tony can't make it this year due to dicky knees, Al views Trailwalker as just like a very long bushwalk... without the sleep, the relaxed pace, the bottle of red wine with dinner, or the sleep in. But he'll be there at the finish, leading from the rear, and picking on his team-mates, like all the great leaders of history.

As Al always says, "There's no "I" in "team", but I don't remember seeing a "U" in it either..."

Glute Three: Roger Crawford

Rodge finds a quicker way down.

Roger "Rodge" Crawford returns to Trailwalker in 2006 after being awarded the coveted Most Skin Lost Trophy in 2004's event, given to the team member suffering the most extensive abrasion injuries to the feet.

Despite his blisters gradually joining together to cover almost the entire surface of both feet to a depth of 10cm in places, Rodge continued to the finish in 2004 with a dogged determination that earned him a few admirers ("that guy's got guts") and a few detractors ("that guy really needs a decent pair of shoes.")

Rodge, mild-mannered insurance geek by weekday, applies his number-crunching skills to planning our training walks, managing our schedules, and making sure we arrive at checkpoints to meet support crew on time.

But our weekday numbers man transforms into Action Man on weekends, enjoying sailboarding, snow skiing, basketball, bushwalking, rogaining, and as we've discovered en-route to training walks, high-speed off-road rally driving in his unmodified early '90s Toyota Corolla.

There's nothing Rodge won't have a go at, and that includes fronting up for another go at Trailwalker... this time with a better pair of shoes.

Glute Two: Bride King

Bride gives us her best side

The second female team member of the Glutes is Bride King. Second tallest member of the team and easily the fittest, Bride runs half a Trailwalk in a typical week, and has a competitive streak half a mile wide - she's odds-on to be the first Glute over the finishing line on the day.

She has a strong track record as a middle-distance runner in national and international competition, and her main challenge in the Trailwalk will be waiting for the rest of us.

Bride also brings to the team her professional capability as a sports physiotherapist - can't get more useful on a Trailwalk than that - and is another member of the Spring Pilates crew.

On the team she's responsible for recruiting and coordinating our small but growing support crew. If you'd like to get to know Bride, joining our support crew is the best way - ask us how!

Meet the Glutes! Glute One: Felicity Kohut

Flick loves the camera

We thought we better tell you a little about the people you're supporting in this year's Sydney Trailwalker.

Felicity "Flick" Kohut is a multiskilled renaissance woman. Part of the week she works as a bush regeneration team leader, pulling weeds and restoring native flora in some of Sydney's gnarliest bush, so she's already used to narrow bush tracks, dirt, mud and hard work. Part of the week she works as a massage therapist at Spring Pilates, one of our corporate sponsors, where she's famous for her ability to work the kinks out of the tightest muscles. Again, it's a handy skill to have on a Trailwalker team. She's also a homeopath, but not a naturopath, and it's important we all understand the difference!

On our Trailwalker team, Flick's responsible for first aid and team uniforms, so if we're looking and feeling shabby on the day, you'll know who's responsible.

Flick proves she's no 'fraidy cat by choosing a motorbike as her modus transportii, and is ably supported by her man, Nick, who's kindly volunteered as a member of our support crew this year.