Rob Oakley (left) of Canberra Region Muscular Dystrophy and Gavin Malouf, who is taking on a coast-to-summit fundraiser challenge. Photo: Rob Oakley.
Canberra physiotherapist Gavin Malouf is setting out on a solo 240-kilometre walk from Twofold Bay near Eden to the top of Australia’s highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko, to raise funds for Capital Region Muscular Dystrophy (CRMD).
The journey, which is set to kick off on 6 October and take eight days, will see Gavin hosting fundraising events in regional towns along the way, where he will be joined by several well-known faces.
Canberra Raider Sam Williams will join Gavin at Club Bombala for a sportsman’s dinner on Wednesday, 8 October, and high-profile rugby coach Andy Friend will join Gavin for an evening at Buckley’s Crossing Hotel, Dalgety, on 10 October.
The monumental effort, Gavin explains, has been inspired by fellow Canberran Rob Oakley, the founder of CRMD.
“I’ve known Robby all my adult life,” Gavin tells Region. ”So I’ve seen how the disease has impacted his ability to move on a daily basis. People like him face challenges in just moving every day, and he never complains or moans, he’s always proactive, and that’s what’s inspired me.”
CRMD supports a wide range of resources, including kids’ powerchair soccer, for those with neuromuscular conditions. Photo: Rob Oakley.
Rob, who has been supportive and active with planning Gavin’s fundraising venture, feels it will be an effective way to help raise awareness of the prevalence of neuromuscular conditions and their impacts on families.
“Gavin has been a strong advocate for exercise and physiotherapy to help manage neuromuscular conditions for many years,” Rob says. ”For him to step up in this walk to support CRMD is very humbling for our group.”
With all of the annual fundraising events for CRMD falling on Rob’s shoulders, the coast-to-summit walk, and the accompanying fundraising efforts, are Gavin’s way to share the load with his friend and find a pathway to fundraising that doesn’t rely solely on Rob.
“My inspiration is to give back to him and to take some of the load away from him,” Gavin says. ”Without Rob, there would be no charity.
“He’s just one of those people that if you’re having a bad day, he comes along and makes you realise that you have nothing to complain about because this guy is just doing it.”
A love for taking on challenges is something the two friends share, and a key motivating factor for Gavin to take on this mission.
“He’s just one of those guys. He’s 60 kilos ringing wet, but he takes on challenges like he’s 110 kilos. He’s done Paralympic dressage and seated water-skiing at a national level. He’s just an inspirational person.”
One of CRMD’s popular fundraisers is the annual fight night. Photo: Supplied.
Gavin has been training for the walk for about three months and laughs that Rob has worked it out at more than 300,000 steps, but he doesn’t want to think about that.
As part of his training regimen, Gavin is undertaking a gym-based program two days a week and has walked up One Tree Hill and Mt Tenent every Sunday for the past two months.
“I’m just trying to get my feet used to being smashed,” he jokes.
Gavin is hopeful that the walk will raise enough funds to contribute to existing CRMD programs as well as research into the future of the disease.
“I think what they are doing is amazing,” he says. ”The powerchair soccer that Rob runs gives kids who wouldn’t have had a competitive outlet the chance to compete and participate, all the great things that come with team sports.
“There are also some areas of research underway to not only minimise the disease but are looking in terms of curing and preventing the disease, so if the funds could go some way to assisting with that, that would be amazing.”
Gavin is also looking to the future of the walk, and while this first effort will be solo, he would like to see it attract a following, including some celebrities, to further grow the profile of the cause.
To find out more about Gavin’s Step Up mission, the fundraising events along his journey and to donate to Canberra Region Muscular Dystrophy, head to the Step Up Walk on Linktree.
