Press release Four people. One goal: 100km in 30 hours
Oxfam TRAILTREKKER is one of the world’s toughest team challenges and one of the most rewarding, as teams have to complete a 100km course within a time limit of 30 hours. And now this international event has arrived in Ireland for the first time.
One of the first to sign up for the TRAILTREKKER challenge was Dr Mark Hamilton, presenter of RTE’s How Long Will You Live and BBC Radio 1’s Sunday Surgery.
Mark is urging the public to follow his lead by registering for the event: “I’m really looking forward to lacing up my boots for TRAILTREKKER – it’s a great way to meet new people, to get out and to get fit, while helping others in the developing world. Step by step you can make change happen as the money you raise will fund Oxfam’s work all over the world and help make a real difference to people’s lives”.
Grace O’Neill, Oxfam Ireland’s Community Events Manager, said: “Teams of four have to complete a challenge combining stamina and teamwork. But it’s not just a physical challenge, it’s a life-changing event: participants are also raising money to help overcome poverty and injustice around the world. For example, £2,000 / €2,000 would provide nourishing food for one month for more than 70 children orphaned by AIDS in Malawi, improving their health and well-being.”
Oxfam TRAILTREKKER is already a global phenomenon, with Ireland on course to be the ninth country to host an event. The Irish TRAILTREKKER will take place from 26-27 September 2009, starting in Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor, Co Down and finishing in Carlingford, Co Louth. Participants will journey through 100km of undulating, rugged countryside, trekking together in their teams by day and by night.
Grace O’Neill added: “Along with the physical and mental challenge, TRAILTREKKER offers an opportunity to take in the dramatic cross-border scenery of the world famous Mourne Mountains, the Ring of Gullion and Tain Way, as well as the points of special archaeological interest along the way. Oxfam is delighted to have the event supported by both Newry & Mourne District Council and Louth County Council and hope that together we’ll recruit as many teams as possible!”
Full event details are now available at the website: www.oxfamireland.org/trailtrekker. Registration for the event is just €200 / £200 per team and participants must also commit to raising a minimum of €2,000 / £2,000 sponsorship per team. Oxfam Ireland is aiming to recruit 200 teams to take part in TRAILTREKKER 2009 and there will also be opportunities for those who don’t want to walk the 100km but would like to volunteer at the event. Everyone can have a part to play!
For more information on how you can get involved, please email trailtrekker@oxfamireland.org or call Oxfam on 01 6350406 (ROI) / 028 9089 5974 (NI).
ENDS
To arrange media interviews, or to request high resolution images for reproduction, please contact Phillip Graham, Oxfam Ireland’s Media Officer on (048) 9089 5959 or
00 44 7841 102535 or email phillip.graham@oxfamireland.org
Notes to Editors
Dr. Mark Hamilton: background details
• Dr. Mark Hamilton, born in Bangor, Northern Ireland, graduated from Medical School with an MB ChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery) before going on to lecture in Anatomy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Manchester. Hamilton joined Radio 1 in 1999, joint hosting the Sony Radio Award-winning Sunday Surgery with Sara Cox, Emma B, Letitia, Annie Mac and Kelly Osbourne. He became advisor to the BBC for their 2000 campaigns for Drug Education and Mental Health and Radio 1 placed him as their ‘Agony Uncle’ for its One Life website, with which he is still involved.
• Mark has moved into television, presenting the series RTE series How Long Will You Live, and contributing to shows such as The Heaven and Earth Show, Big Brother’s Little Brother and This Morning. He even finds time to be a house music DJ, greatly in demand at festivals, clubs and universities.
TRAILTREKKER: background details
• The first Trailwalker was established in 1981 as a military exercise for the elite Queen’s Gurkha Signals Regiment in Hong Kong. The teams used the 100km route as a training exercise to test their soldiers’ stamina and teamwork skills.
• In 1986, Trailwalker became open to the public when the Gurkhas invited Oxfam Hong Kong to partner them on the event, which proved to be highly successful. When the Gurkhas were redeployed to the UK in 1997, they created another successful Trailwalker along the South Downs with Oxfam Great Britain.
• There are now an impressive 11 trails in nine countries (Hong Kong, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Netherlands, Canada, Belgium and now Ireland) and with more planned for the future, Oxfam’s Trailwalkers and Trailtrekkers are becoming a global phenomenon!
• Tens of thousands of walkers around the world have taken on the 100km challenge and thanks to each and every one of these walkers, more than US $70 million has been raised to date to help overcome poverty and injustice.
• Oxfam Ireland’s TRAILTREKKER is kindly supported by the RoSA (Regeneration of South Armagh) Network.
Oxfam Ireland: background details
• Oxfam Ireland is a member of Oxfam International, a confederation of 13 Oxfams worldwide. For more information visit www.oxfamireland.org