Hillbreakers have one hill busted

Hillbreakers were a disjointed team of two Sydney-siders and two Gold Coasters. We only met as a team in the dark chilly morning of the challenge. As the Last Post resonated in the still, cool air at Mudgeeraba Village Green you could have plucked the adrenaline from that air the buzz was so enormous.

Angela, myself Donna, Jim and Craig strode out with confidence. Usually Craig would set a cracking pace and Ange would keep up and Jim and I took a tortoise beating the hare type philosophy. We knew the uphill climbs would test our heart rate but I hadn't thought too much about the downhill. That was my undoing.

Though every other part of my body was doing fine. (Thanks to Di for the advice about strapping the feet - no blisters). My supposedly good knee, my left started to ache. In a few downhill areas I even tried walking backwards to ease the pain.We made Polly's Kitchen just on dark and ate well (thanks to Lisa and Doug) and got ready to go again. Ange was still suffering a bad cold but not complaining at all. I was fairly confident at this stage that I'd walked out any problem in the knees, after all I had no blisters and no real pain anywhere else. Of course we were all tired but mostly fine.

I kept thinking Polly's seemed to climb higher than I'd remembered during our training sessions. The illusion of light or my mind playing tricks? My heart rate certainly strained and was glad to make the peak but then we headed downhill and let's just say it was downhill from there for me. The pain in my knee became excruciating.

Ange and Craig had leaped ahead and Jim and I could no longer see them. I was struggling but Jim kept my spirits up. I was pretty down on myself because I hate giving up on anything but my mind was swimming with thought about pain and 'why am I putting myself through this?' Anyway to cut a long story short I knew I couldn't continue if the pain continued. I pulled out at checkpoint 6 at 9.24pm and the team continued. I'd done almost 26 1/2 hours worth of walking.

Apparently I'd suffered an ACL strain injury a major reason participants pull out of the challenge. First aid did a wonderful job at that checkpoint and I iced my knee (on for 10 off for 5) until Lisa arrived to pick me up (some three hours later) but I didn't mind because I knew my team were doing it tougher. I felt all sorts of emotions about stopping and met others who pulled out, another Donna who had thrown up four times before pulling out and looked white as a sheet, a young girl also with a knee injury, others with chronic blisters and others just totally exhaused.

Then I met Dane. Yes, the famous autistic Dane who was getting the lowdown from the Kokoda Volunteers about him having to stay with his team. He kept getting so excited that he would just take off and be miles in front and they worried about him, particularly because he had no food on him. I handed him the last of my snakes and a milo chocolate bar to help him on his way. I'm so glad he made it and I had no doubt he would except they had told him if he left his group again they would pull him out of the race. Luckily the other team adopted him.

So Hillbreakers kept on moving. Lisa (thanks for the coldest checkpoints!) said they looked shattered at Checkpoint 7 and barely spoke. By the time we met them at Checkpoint 10 they were extremely exhausted, only their minds would win out. It was Jim, the tortoise, who wouldn't give up. So Craig and Ange continued with him.

At home I followed the team on the Virtual Spectator and cheered them on, phoning Lisa with updates. We were to meet in Nerang to see them cross the finish line. I arrived late (don't ask why) and they were already sitting under a tent drinking beer and looking more happy than exhausted. They'd made it. 96 kms of Kokoda Challenge arriving a 4.11pm.

I'm so proud of my team, especially Jim. The tortoise can really beat the hare - at least he can finish.