NQ Nutters
When all's said and done...
Well, after 26:24hrs of walking/trotting/wincing/hopping, we made it
the 96kms to that elusive finish line (I'm sure the next check point is
only 100m away)!
After a crackin' start NQ Nutters found themselves at Polly's Kitchen
and feeling pretty good about the position we were in. Then night set
in and all the bed bugs, drop bears and blister bunnies came out to
play.
By the time we hit Syd Duncan Park, our pace had dropped, our tone a
fair bit quieter and determined and our feet a whole lot sorer! This
stop proved to be an emotional experience for all involved when one of
our own, Robert "Harro" Harrisson made the final decision that no
amount of peircing, padding and taping would enable him to continue on
his badly blistered right foot and so would resign from the team
leaving the 3 of us to continue solomley once again into the darkness.
To trade the comfort of our fantastic support crew once again for the
quiet, still and seemingly endless dirt tracks that we had begin to
come accustomed to was becoming a harder decision every time we stopped.
Getting back into the groove after Syd Duncan was made more difficult
by our ever stiffening joints, aching muscles and our moping that Harro
was no longer walking beside us, and saw us drag our feet for at least
the next hour throwing around his catch phrases "it's just mind games"
and talking about how amazing we thought he was for continuing as long
as he did on a blister about "the size of Ayres Rock". It took us a
while, but eventually we decided that at this rate we were going
nowhere fast and had best snap out of it, pull together and get a
wriggle on! So we did...
Most of the track between Syd Duncan and the last checkpoint at 86km is
a bit of a blur. We periodically drifted off as we walked up a hill,
down a hill and back up another hill, making sure that the guy in front
of us didn't drift himself right over an edge, all while catching
glimmers of head lamps on opposite ridges that seemed an eternity away
from us, quashing our hopes that the finish line was "somewhere close,
surely...please?"
But soon we were to see the Support Crew for the last time. It was
early morning and we couldn't decide if we wanted to keep our warm
clothes, drop some gear, eat food, re-strap our feet and knees or
what..so we did none of those things at all. Just sat... Just for a
minute... So they ran around after us, trying to re-prepare us as much
as they could with little assistance from us, then sent us firmly on
our way. I'm sure we could have just sat there all day if it weren't
for their loving forceful shove onto the last leg of the course!
At the 10km mark we decided if we put in a bit of an effort we might
actually retain a finish time under 27hrs (which Justin had acheived on
a previous Challenge), little did I know, that would have to be an all
out effort! Oh my gosh!
We were so tired and everything below our hips hurt incredibly, yet
somehow all of our up hills were done with a rythmic marching motion
and all our down hills became an uncontrolled descent at once again,
what felt like, a cracking pace!
Passing more and more teams the closer we got to the finish line (so as
to get a good photo finsh), we felt like we were just
rocketing...Painfully... rocketing.
As we approched every 2k marker we knew we were finally getting close
and with every marker came an excited, weird and way too loud Cooee! My
left knee (ITB) was shot so had my Kerrie Saxby professional walking
wiggle going on, Justin was just flying uncontrolably down every hill
while Andrew "Nelly" Nelson just took it all in his stride and did what
he could to maintain an even pace and keep us motivated right to the
end.
We made all the calls to get the crew ready for our arrival and just as
we arrived there was Harro, ready to join us once again for the grand
finale.
We crossed the finish line slowly and as a team. The same team that
embarked on this crazy adventure some 3 months ago...a bunch of random
people who came together to raise a stack of money for kids with a
cause and selflessly hold each other up, right when they needed it
most...just the way it should been!
So to those of us who are feeling sore and sorry for ourselves, we can
walk with our heads held high (limp or not). Nutters, you did a really
great thing this weekend and contibuted to more lives than you'll ever
really know...mine included!
Thank you to my amazing team, NQ Nutters: Andrew, Justin, Rob and our
fantastic support crew: Angelique, Peter, Stan, Jo, Emma, Jane, Emily
and everyone else who contributed, you know who you are, heaps at
various stages. We could have NEVER completed this event without you!
To everyone else who contributed to our walk, made food, looked after
kids, donated funds, supplied goods or provided sponsorship...THANK
YOU... You're the real reason this year's Kokoda Kids are a bigger
group and have more opportunities than any other year...you're the
reason people still remember the mateship of the Kokoda Battle and the
39th Malitia!
AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE!!!
