The Oxfam adventure by Sharon Iannazzo

I just wanted to share this special moment with you all.......Sydney Oxfam 2006 25hrs 34mins!!!!!!!

Well the experience was something I will never ever forget.

The day started on Friday 25th August 2006 at Hunters Hill School where we checked in and ready for our 8.30am start. The weather was good to us fine, as rain was predicted we were blessed. I was to say the least nervous, yet excited about the experience ahead.

The gun went off and we all started.  You could feel the excitement in the air as everyone took off...some in a frenzy and others pacing themselves already....us josling for a position as we headed out weaving our way through the streets of Hunters Hill.  We arrived at the on the Trail and off we went......teams passing us and us passing them!!  this went on for a few kms.

We arrived at our 1st Checkpoint Stop at Lane Cove after 11kms and already had slotted into a good pace and were now ready for whatever was ahead of us...

We arrived at Checkpoint 2 where we first saw our Support Crew (who were fantastic my husband was one of them!).  This was a great stop as we now had covered 24kms and all felt great. We fueled up with food and electroytes and off we went again (Oh did I mention the sausage sizzle that went on at the checkpoint....it never tasted so good!) 

We were now understanding the routine and made it to our 3rd checkpoint covering 33kms, where again, our support crew were fantastic....every need was covered and huge motivation and excitement in our camp, as we were still going well and keeping to our race plan. It was now 3.30pm needed our provisions for the night and  ready for walking into the next stretch taking jackets and our headlights and walked off again....heading for Galston Gorge!!  We conquered the climb down, still in daylight, and still within our race plan...we were all very happy.

We then made it to Checkpoint 4 at 7pm with 49kms under our belts...feeling good and all the team were still going strong. 

Well the night came and now started getting serious!!  It cooled down a little, yet we were still quite warm in the gully though I think we didn't feel the cold as we were concentrating on where we were putting our feet in the darkness of night.....it was pitch black!

We soldiered into Checkpoint 5 at around 9.10pm ish covering now 55kms more than half way and was raining.  The night temp was cool and frosty...yet our support team's spirit was electric...they were pumped and so were we....all feeling still good and ready for our next challenge... Still happy and within our race plan.

We absolutely killed the Berowra climb and now headed towards Checkpoint 6 finishing now 64kms at around 11.45pm ish and still cool but the rain had stopped.  The track was now wet and slippery but hey....it was the same for everyone.  We again were looked after by our support crew with food, hot drinks etc and off we went again....we were all still ok, though feeling a little tired and not that excited about the next 36kms ahead. "Who's idea was this???"  Ooops mine...

Well checkpoint 7 came around after walking another 11kms..this was getting tougher now...well for me at least....it was cool, slippery and very, very dark....and more climbs up, than down...(well that is what I thought...I might have been a little delirious by then).  We rocked in at around 2.15am this was tough as it was well passed my bedtime already...more hot drink, food and bye bye again....after 75kms under our belts.

Our next leg was a tough 17kms and I started feeling the aches and pains and blisters looming!!!  The team was feeling the pinch a little....yet still staying strong and positive....with all of us all trying to remember jokes and stories....we made up a few to keep us focused as this leg was a huge milestone starting in the dark and finishing in the daylight...bring on that sunrise.

We made it all in one piece to checkpoint 8 a little behind schedule, but hey with 92kms covered, we are on the home straight....our support team again were the best rocking in at around 7am.....the amount of food and energy was unbelievable....maybe it was the red wine we spotted on the table!!! who knows but it worked.....we came into this checkpoint very tired and after seeing the crew we were pumped for the last 8kms.....maybe it was all the drugs, medication, guarna, sugar etc....you name it we had it!!!

Off we went headed out for our last 8kms and looking forward to the finish line...............my feet where yelling at me "What is going on" my legs were also screaming.....but hey I was on the home stretch and nothing was going to stand in my way! The team decided to go hard finish near our goal time. We hit those climbs and took them on like there was no tomorrow.....

The could hear the cheering of the crowd at the finish line....yet could not see it (as we were still climbing up to the finish at Frenchs Forest) no nice and easy finish...we came around the corner....all holding hands and the emotion and excitement was electric.....our support team were all there chearing the champagne in sight!

"On The Road" Team had conquered 2006 Sydney Trailwalker in 25hrs 34mins!  It is a feeling I cannot describe and will be with me forever....the blisters and pain will go.....but not this feeling.

Thanks to my great support crew and all of my friends who made a donation to Oxfam....you were all my motivation when I was going through bad patches.

Again thank you to you all and I hope you enjoyed my report as an experience we all shared.

To my team members Paul Scells, Ray Pickering and Allayne Woodford, thank you for sharing this wonderful feeling with me! and the great support Team Tom O'Connor, my wonderful husbane Daniel Iannazzo, Linda Redfearn and Clem you guys should go into business and hire yourselves out you were The BEST!

"On The Road Again"
Team 089

Sharon Iannazzo