F1 Fun

When you’re talking heroes in the sport of triathlon, the same names spring to mind – Allen, Scott, Tinley, Molina, Welch, Beven and in more recent times, McCormack, Stadler, Jones and co. Now there’s a new identity to add to the list, although his achievements are not of the swim, bike and running kind.

So just who is this mystery man? It’s none other than Formula One superstar, Mark Webber. Formerly of Williams fame (and now part of the Red Bull racing team), Webber is a humble multi-sport addict, so much so that he’s established his own six-day adventure race, to be staged from November 5-10 this year in the Tasmanian wilderness.

Called the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge, the race is open to 12 four-person teams – made up of mostly corporate executives, celebrities and sports stars. The race will combine cross-country trekking, mountain biking, road cycling and kayaking, covering approximately 600 kilometres.

A similar event was staged at Webber’s initiative in 2003, with the likes of Steve Waugh, Cathy Freeman, Pat Rafter and Guy Andrews turning out to race. Andrews will again return in 2006, making up an all-star team alongside Webber, AR champion Matt Dalziel and British rowing champion James Cracknell.

While he might be a focused and driven competitor on the track (pardon the pun), Webber is committed to using his fame and success to make a difference to the lives of those disadvantaged in Australia. As a result, he’s using the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge as a means of giving back.

"As a professional sports person, I’m able to do many special things – such as represent my country at the highest level, test myself to the limit week in and week out, work with highly talented people, meet inspirational figures and of course travel the world to drive fantastic racing cars.

"Even so, my Australian roots are never far from my thoughts and because I’m not able to spend much time at home these days, I wanted to return something worthwhile to the community.

"After the success of the 2003 Challenge – and now with the revamped event taking place later this year – the creation of the Mark Webber Challenge Foundation was the logical step forward in enabling me to support a number of different charities on a regular basis, while giving me the excuse to continue fantastic and fun events such as the Pure Tasmania Challenge."

The beneficiaries of the Challenge in 2006 will be the Victorian-based TLC For Kids and the Cancer Council Tasmania’s Cancer Plus program.