Kurt Fearnley - 2009 New York Wheelchair Marathon Winner's Latest Challenge

6 November 2009 - Sydney, Australia - Kurt Fearnley announces brave challenge
Kurt Fearnley, Australian paralympic wheelchair champion athlete, and 2009 New York Wheelchair Marathon winner, has just announced he will crawl the 96km (59.6516 miles) Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea for charity.

The 28-year-old paraplegic from Newcastle, north of Sydney, won a record fourth successive New York marathon on Monday, 2 November 2009, in an exciting photo finish from South African veteran Krige Schabort. This latest win means two-time Paralympic champion Fearnley will finish the year unbeaten in marathons, with wins in Seoul, Paris, London, Sydney, Chicago and New York.

On the Seven Network's Sunrise TV program this morning (Friday 6 November), Fearnley outlined to presenters Melissa Doyle and David Koch (who walked the Kokoda Track in April 2006) what he is doing to train and prepare for the grueling 12 day challenge.

"I had a great crawl up Centre Point this morning. 20 minutes and 10 seconds," Fearnley said confidently.

Sydney's Centrepoint Tower is 309 metres (1,013.78 feet) high.

Fearnley was born without a complete spinal cord is abandoning his wheelchair to crawl the track to raise awareness of men's health issues and to support the charity initiative Movember.

"I think Kokoda will be the toughest single experience I've ever had in my life and I know that, but I'm also excited about it " said Fearnley.

The Kokoda Track, in the Owen Stanely Ranges of PNG, is dangerously rugged. Several able-bodied people have either died or had to be medivaced out during attempts to complete the trek. A plane crash in this area of jungle in August 2009 claimed the lives of one Japanese, nine Australians and three PNG nationals.

Kurt Fearnley's achievements
So, what kind of man can win his fourth New York Wheelchair Marathon and just a week or so later embark on one of the toughest overland treks in the world for the able bodied, let alone for a paraplegic? Here are just some of Kurt Fearnley's achievements:

- 2001 to 2008 - 32 marathons. 22 wins. 32 podium finishes
- Marathon wins in 10 countries on five continents
- Three-time Paralympian. Nine medals. Three Gold
- Five-time World Champion
- Laureus World Sports Award Finalist
- Commonwealth Athlete of the Year with a Disability
- 2009 NSW Young Australian of the Year
- Ambassador - Day of Difference Foundation
- Ambassador - International Day of People with a Disability

Fearnley will take a support team of 15, including his two brothers, with him on the trek and has admitted to being a bit fearful of what is ahead of him on the Kokoda Track.

A complete list of Kurt Fearnley's achievements are listed on his website.

My own experience in the jungle of Papua New Guinea on Bougainville Island
I have some idea of what Kurt Fearnley will face on his trek. In 1988, I spent 3 months working at the Bougainville Copper Mine on Bougainville Island, PNG. I was fortunate to be able to do a one-day trek about 2,500 feet up the mountain at the back of the open-cut mine and 25 kilometres (15.5343 miles) down through rugged jungle to the coastal town of Arawa. This was a Scouts activity and I was the only expatriate woman to be invited to go on the trek. I had no trekking experience and did no training prior to the event. To say I was in agony when I returned to mine quarters was an understatement. I could hardly walk for three days and getting in and out of a car was something I never want to repeat. The upside was that I got to see the most amazing scenery. It is number 1 on my life's list of achievements.

Sources:
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/fearnley-tops-ny-wheelchair-marathon-20091102-hrsw.html
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26292277-10389,00.html
http://www.roadlesstravelled.com.au/tourists-guide-review-of-sydney-centrepoint-tower-observation-deck/
http://www.timeoutsydney.com.au/thebridge/pleaseexplain/water-tower-in-centrepoint-tower-sydney.aspx
http://kurtfearnley.com/results.shtml
http://www.defence.gov.au/ARMY/AHU/HISTORY/Battles/Kokoda.htm
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/INTGUIDE/POL/elections/png.htm

Personal experience - I lived and worked on Bougainville Island, PNG and did a 1-day jungle trek in May 1988

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