Back in March, when Tom and I sat down to consider who we could approach as our team mate, we both knew what we wanted. We knew that someone we were going to spend so much time needed to be someone we got on with first and foremost. It would be one thing spending a month in North Pole in a tent with each other but there is also the training trips planned to Victoria and Norway. Secondly, we needed someone with the competitive spirit, as we are not entering this race to just complete it. With all that considered, we both came up with the same person in Georgie Jones, a strong athlete with a great track record in triathlon and the half Iron Man distance. Tom, who still works with Georgie, had a call with her to gauge interest and it was strong. Georgie took the weekend to think it over and I met with her on the Monday to answer any questions she may have. However, Georgie had given it thought and felt the time commitment would be too much having taken on a new role and with a travel schedule that would see her move through more than 3 continents some months. We were back to square 1!
Roll on three weeks and Georgie was beginning to try and find solutions and like Tom and I, was keen to find a justification to all her training. Conversations re-started and solutions were found so we are thrilled to be able to announce our team in now complete with Georgie Jones, Tom Clipston and myself. We met for the first time as a team this week with the legendary Marcel who helped us get our strength and conditioning program underway. On Monday next week we will depart on a three day mission to Children’s Surgical Centre in Cambodia so I can introduce the guys to the team over there. Our fundraising aim for this expedition is 2,000 operations to be funded for the children so I am eager for the guys to see what we will working towards.
We get back at midnight on the 16th and I have one day in Singapore before I depart for a month in the USA with the family as Zara has a month of intensive treatment and therapy at Medical Rehabilitation and Kinematics Lab in San Diego. When I return on the 19th July, I will have a week in Singapore before departing to Hotham, in Victoria, Australia where we will do some technical cross country training before setting off for a training trip in the mountains.
We will post some updates and pictures from Cambodia next week.
