Webber Challenge Underway

By Ian lockwood
November 7 2006

The Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge might well be one of the toughest events to hit the Island State, but the international all-star cast of competitors, comprised of 12 teams of four, say they are ready for the epic 6-day event. The starting list for the event reads like a who’s who of international sport and prior to the event today Mark Webber joined his team mates Matt Dalziel, James Cracknell and former Australian ironman Guy Andrews, alongside the likes of Australian Olympians Craig Mottram (athletics), Craig Walton (triathlon) and Shane Kelly (cycling) for a chat to shake off the pre-race jitters.

“It’s fascinating to meet people like these guys who are competing at world level and compare notes. We’re all competing in sports at the highest level and generally we’re all the same beast in terms of competition, but we specialize in different things.

“While there are a few international competitors in the event, it’s still really obviously the Australian spirit is there. The camaraderie in this event gives such a special finish to it. Everyone will have their bad day, but you just get on with it and need to struggle through to the end” Webber explained.

Joining the boys in the event are four all-female teams, including the likes of Dee Caffari – the first woman to sail solo around the world. Caffari says that racing solo around the world for 178 days is a completely different ball game to racing 6-days over extreme terrain.

“I’m obviously suited to endurance racing, but the whole adventure race scene is out of my comfort zone. That said, I am really looking forward to next 6 days and sharing this adventure with my team mates,” Caffari explained.

The Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge was developed by Webber in 2003 to raise money for Australian children’s charities. Webber’s team-mate Guy Andrews says that meeting the children who benefit from the monies raised during the event say it is a great motivation.

“I get a lot of motivation from seeing kids who’ve had set backs and figure, that if I can’t push myself through temporary pain as part of the race, what can I do? I want to highlight the fact that when you’ve got all your arms and legs working you have to make the most of it. Mentally, I’m ready for the race and it comes down to making a choice - you can go home to mum or you can just get on and do it,” Andrews said.

The Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge runs throughout Tasmania’s rugged countryside taking in some iconic locations. It starts tomorrow at the Country Club in Launceston, travels through the state’s high country including Cradle Mountain, down the West Coast through Strahan before finishing at Wrest Point in Hobart in the state’s south on Friday.

The beneficiaries of this year’s event are TLC for Kids and The Cancer Council Tasmania’s Cancer Plus program. Donations to the chosen charities can be made online at:

www.markwebberchallenge.com/donations

The Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge kicks off on Sunday, November 5 at 9am from the Country Club, Launceston, and finishes at Wrest Point in Hobart on Friday, November 10.