The "Twin Peaks Challenge" taking on a challenge for those that don't have a choice!

A couple of years ago I decided I wanted to organize and take part in a Fitness Fundraiser for charity. So after looking out my living room window at the "Duri Peaks" in the distance

and the 'Flagstaff Mountain" at the back of the house, I thought it would be a good challenge to mountain bike out (65 km) to Duri Peak, hike up it, ride back into town and hike up Flagstaff.

And so the "Tamworth Twin Peak Challenge" was born in 2010!

 

Some of the 2010 TPC crew on a Training run up Flagstaff.

If you have ever had sick kids (and I hope you don't have to experience it) you will know just how much we rely on support groups.

One such place in Tamworth is Ronald McDonald House  "a home away from home for families of seriously ill children being treated at hospital, providing accommodation and respite for their parents and carers".

After talking with some of my Boot Camp team we organized to meet with the Management and volunteers of the House who were only too happy to help us, help them with a Fitness Fundraiser.
For the first "Twin Peak Challenge" we had a group of 16 top blokes who trained up at Boot Camp for 6 weeks. Training in minus 3 to 5 temperatures at 6.00am, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings in preparation for the 65km Mountain Bike ride with 8kms of hiking!

Not only did the Team step up to the physical challenge, they went super hard on the fund raising to come up with the massive  amount of $24,000!
All done in a 6 week period, magic!!

 

The "Twin Peaks 2011 Challenge"

After the success of last year the Team decided to go again.
The boys wanted a bit more of a physical challenge, so I was more than happy to oblige!
This years challenge was a 2.1 km hike to start, followed by a 52 km mountain bike ride,(11kms on dirt) followed by a 6.1 km hike. Doesn't sound to bad? Wrong!

This one hurt!!

A few of the 2011 Team,with Tamworth Town below!!!
Its a 1km climb to where this photo was taken and this is where the finish line was!
Last year we stayed together as a group and it was all nice and social.
This year wasn't to be! It was on! A full on race, no holds barred, no more Mr Nice Guys!
We had 30 participants this year, almost double on 2010. We even had 6 out of Towners that had heard about the challenge.



I never said the 2011 Team were a handsome bunch. Sorry lads!

This year we had tons of media coverage ( thanks to Heidi at 2creativemedia and Kylie from Ronald McDonald House) from half page ads in the local paper, TV interviews, Radio coverage and we even had a local TV station sponsor an ad for us!