Long-time trekker Lara shares why she’ll be dusting off her tutu, pulling on the neon tights and powering up the head torch in preparation for a Girls Night Out to remember…
You’ve done a 30km Coastrek challenge before and now you've decided to don a headtorch for the Twilight 20km. Tell us why...
The Twilight 20km really appeals to us active but busy mums - for me anything where I can multi-task is a winner. This ticks so many boxes as it allows my friends and I to set a goal, keep fit, catch up by doing something different rather than just over the usual dinner and drinks, and support a great cause by raising money for the Heart Foundation.
It’s a different kind of girls night out, right?
For sure! While we love drinks and dinner, we also love being active and doing something that's challenging and slightly out of our comfort zone – like walking at night… with a headtorch!
What’s your motivation for signing up to Coastrek in 2023?
Walking in nature with friends is absolutely one of my favourite things to do - and the cheapest form of therapy! And by having Coastrek as a goal, it holds us all accountable to ourselves and each other to stay on track with our fitness goals.
It also helps ease the mum guilt of time away from the family - I see it as an investment in ourselves that benefits not only us but our families and the wider community.
Tell us about your team!
Our team is a mixed bunch for sure - we have one team member who has done all sorts of adventure challenges, two casual to keen hikers and a newbie.
What definitely makes a difference is that we have learnt to walk at a similar pace together and to appreciate each other's strengths. I'm always the captain as I'm the most organised (aka bossy?), another friend is our motivator and comes up with great questions to distract us when times get tough on a walk, another makes us laugh with her stories and the other is awesome at taking charge of our fundraising.
What are you looking forward to on Event Day?
I love everything about Event Day, from the energy at the start to the vibe created by all the volunteers along the route to the tears of joy when you hear the cowbells at the end which signal you've made it!
Does your team have your costumes sorted?
We're still working on our team name, but the costumes will definitely involve a lot of neon and lights – and a tutu or two!
Why is it important to you to support the Heart Foundation?
Even if you don’t have a direct connection to the cause, in a way we are all connected because heart disease is so prevalent in our society. And here is a solution to help combat it – walking and hiking on a regular basis out in nature with friends. Great for the heart, great for the soul and just such a fantastic endorphin-producing event to be part of!
