Elixr Community Charity Challenges
ELIXR MEMBER JENNY QUIGLEY: OCEAN CHALLENGE
Huge congratulations to Elixr member Jenny Quigley, 70, who completed the annual Balmoral Swim for Cancer on 13 March 2016. We hope her story inspires you to take on a challenge of your own…
I’ve been an Elixr member for a number of years and in that time I’ve managed to rehabilitate a knee injury and avoid having surgery through Pilates and regular exercise. And at 70 years old, I decided to take on a big challenge – the Balmoral Swim for Cancer, an annual 1km harbour swim.
Over the years, I’ve watched and admired those who’ve participated in this event – especially considering the sharks and other creatures that are in the ocean with you! This year, however, with plenty of encouragement from friends and family, a friend and I decided to take the plunge.
Our training began in earnest and our routine included a mix of Pilates Mat and Group Reformer classes, walking and swimming – building up to 20x50m laps in the Balmoral pool, which we assumed would be equivalent to a kilometre. Well, I can assure you that swimming in an ocean pool is very different to swimming in the ‘big’ ocean!
On the day, we felt like we were in a washing machine, being smashed every which way – although I’ve since been told the sea was flat that day! We did it though, and it was an amazing feeling to complete the swim – I didn’t even think about what was in the water beneath me. And that night, we started googling ‘ocean swims’ to see where the next one would be…
ELIXR TEAM MEMBER BEC WILES: WORLDS GREATEST SHAVE
I’m taking part in the World’s Greatest Shave and shaving my hair off!
Today 34 Australians will be given the devastating news that they have leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma. And they’ll turn to the Leukaemia Foundation for help. When you sponsor me in World’s Greatest Shave, you give families the free emotional and practical support they need, and continue the urgent search for cures.
Sponsorship can support someone during a hospital visit from the Leukaemia Foundation’s qualified blood cancer support team. Visit my shave page and help me raise funds for this great cause. To donate go to worldsgreatestshave.com, click the ‘Sponsor’ button top right and then enter the name Bec Wiles
