As Coastrek embarks on a new charity partnership with the Heart Foundation in 2023, some new faces will be hiking for healthy hearts in 2023.
“We are so excited to announce our impressive line-up of women who will proudly fly the Coastrek flag as our Patron and Ambassadors, inspiring more women to get moving in nature and fall in love with fitness,” says Di Westaway OAM, Founder of Wild Women on Top & Coastrek.
“This distinguished group combines a wealth of expertise across health and fitness, cardiac research and hiking and the outdoors - all with a shared belief in the positive impact that Coastrek brings, not only to trekkers, but to the wider community.”
Coastrek Patron and National Ambassadors for 2023 are:
COASTREK PATRON: Anna-Louise Bouvier
Anna-Louise Bouvier, is a physiotherapist, Adjunct Fellow in the School of Medicine and Allied Health at Macquarie University, media personality and an award-winning corporate wellbeing app developer. She is also a Mentor in health tech with the international Founders Institute. Her lifelong passion has been to create engaging, delightful programs and strategies that help people develop and sustain long term positive health behaviours. Listen out for Anna-Louise with her regular appearances on ABC Radio with Richard Glover and James Valentine:
“Heart disease is one of the most preventable diseases, and Coastrek offers the most cost effective and accessible forms of medicine – walking!” – Anna-Louise Bouvier
NATIONAL COASTREK AMBASSADOR: Libby Trickett OAM
Former Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer, Libby Trickett OAM, has a long history with Coastrek having walked five events in Sydney and the Sunshine Coast (two while pregnant!). She refers to Coastrek event day as her ‘favourite day of the year’!:
“I’m not an endurance athlete by any stretch of the imagination. When I was racing, I was a sprinter. Coastrek has taught me about endurance and how strong my mindset can be. I think that’s what keeps bringing me back - event day teaches you so much about yourself and your friends. It’s an awesome opportunity to get out, see amazing locations and get exercising and chatting and supporting each other.” – Libby Tricket OAM
NATIONAL COASTREK AMBASSADOR: Dr Nikki Bart
A Leading research cardiologist and elite mountaineer has an obvious connection to both the heart health cause and a love of hiking and the outdoors.
Dr Bart has a particular interest in heart failure and cardiac genetics and remains committed to building awareness around women’s heart health. She completed a PhD at Oxford University as a Sir John Monash Scholar and then returned to Australia to complete her medical training in cardiology. Dr Bart has also been awarded a Fulbright scholarship and is an enthusiastic mountain climber. In 2008, Nikki alongside her mother Cheryl Bart, became the first mother-daughter duo to not only climb Mt Everest, but also complete the Seven Summits – reaching the highest peaks on each of the seven continents around the world.
“What we typically understand as a heart attack is the crushing ‘elephant on the chest’ pain – that’s how men often experience a heart attack, but women experience it differently. Their symptoms are more subtle, a shortness of breath or fatigue, so they often ignore it for longer and can often be misdiagnosed - subsequently the outcomes are much worse.”
“The partnership between Coastrek and the Heart Foundation will shine a light on this important issue for women, to help prevent more heart attacks. Coastrek is the ‘magic pill’ against heart disease because it includes a training program and an event day challenge to build healthy habits. As we know just 20 minutes a day of undulating walking or hiking reduces the risk of heart disease, depression, anxiety, diabetes, osteoperosis and some cancers by up to 50 per cent.”
“For a long time women were excluded from research studies. Even now in our heart attack and heart failure studies, the proportion of women included is well below 50 per cent. Fundraising from Coastrek will help fund really valuable, lifesaving research into women’s heart health.”
NATONAL COMMUNITY COASTREK AMBASSADOR: Ann Jenkins
Ann is a much-loved and committed National Coastrek Community Ambassador (aka Coastrek Hero!). Having more than earned this title with a record 20 Coastrek events under her walking boots, Ann will complete her 21st Coastrek at the inaugural Canberra event in 2024. A wealth of knowledge and a dedicated member of the Wild Women community, Ann’s love of Coastrek is infectious:
“Coastrek really is a magical experience – and you don’t need to be a top athlete to take part. It’s just a matter of committing to the training with your team mates, then it’s one foot in front of the other and before you know it you’re carried along by the beautiful concept that is Coastrek, the people you meet along the way and the beautiful views. It really is an inspiring thing to do and be able to give back to the community.” – Ann Jenkins.
Anna-Louise, Libby, Nikki and Ann will join other event Ambassadors throughout the year, hiking for healthy hearts at Coastrek events around Australia in support of the Heart Foundation.
