By Parker McKenzie
A Ferntree Gully-based team has already raised over $5000 for charity before taking on the 100 kilometre Oxfam Walk through the Dandenong Ranges over the weekend.
Natasha Orfanidis, Rosemary James and Betsy Hoebert have been training for their first Oxfam Trailwalker, after the three friends met at a local gym in Upper Ferntree Gully.
Ms Orfanidis said she suggested the idea to her teammates because the challenge was a “bucket list thing.”
“It’s a great challenge, but it’s also amazing to be able to raise money for charity as well,” she said.
“There’s a leaderboard and we’re quite high on it too, which is amazing.”
At time of writing, the trio — under the team name the Awty Girls — have raised $5150 for Oxfam projects around the world, which aim to alleviate poverty in developing countries.
Ms Orfanidis said the plan is to walk for 24 to 27 hours straight, with the only stops being small 20 to 30-minute pit stops.
“We had a pretty decent fitness level going in, but it’s just a different kind of physical challenge that you don’t really do in your everyday life,” she said.
“Mount Dandenong itself will be the most challenging part because it’ll be 60km into the walk and 1100 meters elevation.”
One member of the team, Ms James, has also been training for her first triathlon at the same time.
Ms Orfanidis said training together for such a monumental challenge has strengthened the trio’s friendship.
“Getting to know people from different walks of life, they are well-traversed people, has been really fascinating because we’ve done hours upon hours of training walks,” she said.
“The last one took up 14 hours with stops, you learn a lot about them and it’s really cool.”
She said the Awty Girls will celebrate eventually after the walk, but not after a long sleep.
“We’re going to do some sort of celebration dinner in the week following,” she said.
“First we’re going to go to bed because we don’t plan on sleeping while we’re doing it.”
The Oxfam Trailwalker will take place from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 March.
The Awty Girls’ progress can be found at trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/t/awty-crew
