ACRF supporters, Jemma Read and her Aunty, Sarah Wiese have just completed the Bibbulmun track to raise money for cancer research in Australia.
In an incredible feat of endurance, commitment and focus, the women covered 1003 kilometres in just 26 days by running 25 back to back marathons. Each day they ran an average of 45km over 6-8 hours. They went up mountains, over bush terrain, and across beaches, often in unforgiving weather conditions.
“Sarah and I have a lot of things in common, but the two main things here are that we are both absolutely nuts and that we both have friends and family that have died from, or are currently fighting breast cancer,” said Jemma.
“I have wanted to run along the Bibbulmun track for a long time, so Jemma and I decided to do this together and at the same time raise some funds for an Australian charity that is focused on cancer research.
We knew it would be quite an undertaking, not only for us but also for our families and friends supporting us and coping without us while we ran. Thank you to all of those people who have helped us out. We have been incredibly lucky that we had an absolutely fabulous crew willing to back us up. They’ve helped feed us, move our gear along the track and set up camp for us every night with a lovely roasting fire to dry out by.
I felt really great during the run; it was a fairly simple routine of good food, plenty of exercise and early nights – a luxury not always easy to find in our normally busy lives.
We have come away really appreciating what a fantastic state Western Australia is to live in. We travelled through one beautiful and diverse national park after another, all linked together by the incredible, well maintained Bibbulmun Track.
Almost without discussion, we had both decided we wanted to support the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) because they are an Australian charity that supports cancer research into all cancers including breast cancer. For me, breast cancer is a young woman‘s disease, it’s what I’m seeing a lot of my peers suffering from whilst they’re in their prime, and they’re in the middle of raising children and building careers. It’s a very difficult time to deal with that sort of thing. And both Jemma and I have got a couple of really close family fighting it at the moment.
Thank you to everyone who supported our journey in so many ways. Thank you to our amazing support crews who looked after us so well, and to those who gave us encouragement along the way – you helped make our journey even more enjoyable and memorable. We are overwhelmed by everyone’s generous donations and are so proud to have raised over $10K for cancer research in Australia,” said Sarah.
ACRF is amazed by the effort that Jemma and Sarah put towards completing this challenge. The money they raised will help provide the best researchers in the country with the tools they need to do lifesaving cancer research.
To learn more about these inspiring women and their trip, watch the great clip below. You can also donate to their fundraising page here.
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