Four Goals
Physical: To be able to ride from one side of Australia, some 8000km plus, to the other side is going to take some effort. I will be self-supported, carrying all the kit I need in a trailer behind me. I will have my own camping and cooking gear to enable me to stay anywhere and be self-sufficient. I will ride on average 100km per day and the weight in my trailer will vary depending on far it is between each town. Some may be very close and I can get away with carrying very little food but at other times I may be carrying up to a weeks worth of food.
It is believed that riding an Elliptigo should improve your fitness over a long duration and make you stronger. I am interested in testing this out an would like to run as many 5km Parkrun's as possible during the journey. This way I can evaluate my fitness with the times for completing the run.
Also, did I mention that I've only been on an Elliptigo once before planning this challenge, so this will be a new skill for me to learn and a way of pushing myself physically in a different way than before.
And... If all goes to plan I should achieve a Guinness World Record for 'longest journey on an elliptical cycle in a single country'. I have applied for it and I have the criteria that I will be working through while on the adventure. I have to create a logbook, track everything using GPS and get witness statements from people I pass. All of which should add to the fun.
It is believed that riding an Elliptigo should improve your fitness over a long duration and make you stronger. I am interested in testing this out an would like to run as many 5km Parkrun's as possible during the journey. This way I can evaluate my fitness with the times for completing the run.
Also, did I mention that I've only been on an Elliptigo once before planning this challenge, so this will be a new skill for me to learn and a way of pushing myself physically in a different way than before.
And... If all goes to plan I should achieve a Guinness World Record for 'longest journey on an elliptical cycle in a single country'. I have applied for it and I have the criteria that I will be working through while on the adventure. I have to create a logbook, track everything using GPS and get witness statements from people I pass. All of which should add to the fun.
Social: It's important to me that I make an impact on the country that I am traveling through, not only the one that my fundraising will assist. On my journey across Australia I will be going into schools to give talks to young people about adventure and participation in sport. I believe that participation in sport at a young age teaches us so many life lessons and valuable skills. When I was in high school, I almost went down the wrong path but I was fortunate that I found a sport to focus my energy in a productive direction. Through my chosen sport, running, I learned how to motivate myself and reap rewards for my hard work and dedication.
Personal: All of the above goals should fit under the personal heading as I will be undertaking them all myself but there is also something more personal. For many years I have had a fear of public speaking. My desire to try and make an impact on others has driven me to face this fear. As I travel across the country and go into schools to speak with students I will be tackling my own challenges and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
For me travelling to less touristy places is something that really excites me. Even though Australia has many fabulous tourist attractions, this challenge will allow me to see parts of the country rarely visited. And I have no doubt that they will be just as beautiful as the more established places.
For me travelling to less touristy places is something that really excites me. Even though Australia has many fabulous tourist attractions, this challenge will allow me to see parts of the country rarely visited. And I have no doubt that they will be just as beautiful as the more established places.
Charitable: The charity I have chosen is One Girl and I aim to raise as much money for them as I can. I've set my target as $10,000 but really I would love to go much further than that. I've chosen a charity that has very similar principles and beliefs as I do. I am very passionate about Africa and have been ever since my first visit in 1995. One Girl works to provide education to girls in Sierra Leone and Uganda. In these countries girls are more likely to be sexually abused than they are to go to high school. What a shocking statistic! I have written a whole page about the charity and my reasons behind choosing them, I'd love you to read it - Charity page.
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