Wishes Can Come Through - Running Hobart to Burnie (349km)

This is a follow-up to the announcement made here

It is 9 am Thursday 18th October 2001. With some 20 people in 4 vehicles and my dog Asta I am waiting for the arrival of TV crew to start our journey from Hobart to Burnie in Tasmania. It is a non-stop run for the benefit of "Make A Wish" foundation which raises funds to grant wishes to children with life threatening illness. It all started 12 months ago. After completing the Spartathlon in Greece, I was looking for a new challenge. Run from Burnie to Hobart seemed to be the ideal distance to test my limits and to promote ultra running in Tasmania. To give it some real purpose I wanted some charity to benefit from it.

Discussing this with friends, Robbie Moore offered his help to locate a suitable charity and start planning. He also convinced me that it would be a better idea to run in the opposite direction to finish in my hometown Burnie. How good idea that was! The highest hills are close to Hobart so I hit them while still fresh. I do not have to travel home after finish. And a lot of people know me in Burnie so the reception at the end will be more emotional. The members of the Burnie branch of "Make a Wish" showed enough interest in the venture and the planning began. Mark and Rosie Bailey, the owners of the "Peter Finch 4 wheel Drive" were quick to donate two vehicles and fuel for the trip. Sid Sidebottom MP donated his minibus and fuel and Fairford Burnie lended a car as well. Accommodation in Hobart for my support crew as well as my wife and myself was donated by Dennis and Sandra Blyth, owners of the luxury B&B Roseneath, while the rest stayed in the Casino receiving some special discounts. Sig Signs donated the signage for the vehicles. The whole team headed by the president Joan Fawdry handled donations, media contacts and sponsorship deals.

The TV crew from channel 9 WIN is arriving and we are ready. Lin Thorp MLC, representing the Premier is there to give the occasion a special importance and start the journey, but not before giving a generous donation. At last we are on the way. With a police escort through the busy streets of Hobart our convoy of four cars and my dog and myself are making our way through the city. Weather is cold, strong headwind, but at least it is not raining. In the Elizabeth Mall members of Kingborough Lions Club are helping to collect donation. Tasmanian media - TV, newspapers and four radio station have given us a lot of publicity so everyone seems to know what is happening. People are cheering us up and donation is pouring in. Out of the city traffic our police escort is leaving us but not before wishing us well and giving a generous donation as well. And this is the sort of generosity of Tasmanian people we are going to experience all the way.

Tasmanian Treasurer David Crean is waiting for us in Glenorchy with his donation and well wishes. Reporters from all media are waiting there to follow our progress as they are going to do so all the way. The journey is growing into a much bigger event then we could have ever dreamt of. It is for a great cause and also the public seems to be inspired by the idea of a 62 years old crazy man and his dog Asta running a distance which many consider to be too far even by a car. Many are recalling Cliff Young and his achievements.

One group in two cars is now driving around collecting donations; Asta and I between two cars are making a steady progress. It is not unusual for a car to stop giving us $20 notes. The head wind is still strong and cold, but we are running on schedule. In 51/4 hours we have covered 50 km and are leaving the highway to run through Kempton. What a pleasant surprise! All the children and teachers from the primary school are on the footpath cheering us up and presenting me with a cheque for $40! Yet another of the many inspirational moments of the trip.

At 5 p.m. we are reaching Spring Hill, at 488 m the highest point on the highway. The weather forecast was correct - snow over 400 m. I enjoy it especially since the wind has turned around and blows into my back. Unfortunately it does not take long and it is a head wind again. From Oatlands Mark decides to run with me for a while. I am about 50 minutes behind schedule and that makes me a bit nervous. At about 8 p.m. Peter Hoskinson from New Norfolk is catching up with us to support me till Ross, where we arriving at 11.38 p.m. It has been freezing, the pub is still open and I could not refuse a nice hot cup of tea. Even Asta was welcome inside. The members of the football club and other patrons have already collected about $80 for us and the publican would not accept any payment from us either. Peter has decided to keep running with me to Campbell Town so Dennis Blyth is going to drive his car and wait for him there. I am feeling really well. In Campbell Town Peter is going to drive back home - more than 100 km. It is 1.30 am. He gives me a big hug, wishes me well and is gone. What can I say? I never met Peter personally before and he is doing so much for me! Thank you Peter, I hope that you will do really well in Colac ( 6 day ultra run).

I continue on my own, Asta is in the car to get some rest. My wife Jo is not sleeping, waiting for me to give me a drink or food whatever and whenever I want. At 3 am the temperature dropped close to zero. I am getting a salad roll and a cup of coffee to eat while walking but I am so cold. "Stop the car, let me in, I want to feel warm for at least a few minutes". It was wonderful! 5 minutes later I am back on the road-do not want to get spoiled too much. Passing through Conara Junction it is 3.30am and my hands in only light gloves are freezing. My Guardian Angels ("G.A".) - that's what I call my support crew from now on - are giving me nice thick leather gloves, but soon I am giving them back. It's only OK to use my own as a hanky.

It is 4 am and I cannot believe my eyes. My son Peter, Odessa and my grandkids Samara, Roxanne and Jacob are getting out of their car to run with me! After running 3 km they are gone again but are waiting for us at Epping Forrest where we have to refuel so I have to wait for a few minutes. Good excuse sitting down with a cup of coffee and reading the papers, which are reporting about our progress with photos taken on the route.

Soon it is daylight and we are getting close to Perth( not in WA!). Peter Madden is running with me while Richard Fedosejevs is driving. In spite of continuos cold headwind we are reaching Perth at 9.05 - 50 minutes ahead of schedule. That makes me happy and I enjoy the luxury of egg and bacon roll and an ice cream. Next destination is Westbury. I never think of running to Burnie, always break it to sensible segments. To stay on Schedule I need to run 30 km in 5 hrs or 6km per hour - EASY! A truck is trying to stop to make a donation but there is too much traffic behind. The driver throws a handful of coins on the road and keeps going! Thanks, we'll get it. After two hours I have covered 15 km - 7.5 km per hour in spite of continuing strong headwind. I am laughing! But not for long - here comes Mr. Murphy. Roadworks on the highway are taking us away through narrow old roads with busy traffic and nowhere to run. We are also going to add an extra 19 km to our total. My mood is starting to change. I am struggling through gutters, everyone is worried about me and progress is very slow. The road to Westbury ends up in a steep hill about 300 m long. Mark suggests that the only way to get through safely be for him to hold the traffic and I running as fast as I can to the top. Done, but I am absolutely exhausted. And already 15 minutes behind schedule.

Another MP Ken Bacon is waiting for us in the front of the pub to give us some donation and my "G.A." were going to have some lunch. I intended to keep going, but could not. Had to sit down for 15 minutes to have some rest. I think that even those who have full confidence that I can do it are starting to be concerned. I am thinking of all the people involved, all the hard work gone into it, all the support from the media and the Tasmanian public and especially of all my grandkids - Luke, Carly, Samara, Roxanne, Danial, and Jacob and how proud they are of what I am trying to achieve. There is only one option and it is to keep going. I know I will get through it! Fifteen minutes later and I am on the road again. Ken Bacon asked the Police to help us through the traffic till we get past the road works. The highway was open in opposite direction only, so the police officer stopped the traffic to enable us to get on and from there on it was a smooth sailing - no traffic behind us at all. But I am still not very happy. I am not going to be in Burnie at 11 am on Saturday as planned and it bothers me a lot. But here comes my "G.A." Mark: " Do you realize that time does not matter? As long as you get there". No, I don't. To me it still DOES MATTER! But Mark is not giving up. "Do you realize, that we will end up with an extra 19 km and that we started 35 minutes behind schedule, so considering all this we are AHEAD OF TIME!" He is now getting through my thick head. I am starting to feel better as we are approaching Elizabeth Town.

It is 7.30 p.m. and we have already covered 245 km. What happened next really lifted my spirit. In front of the pub was a huge crowd of people cheering me on. The president of the football club is handing me a cheque for $200 and in the moneybox there is about $250 donated by the patrons. I am speechless but extremely happy. I am also told about a customer in a butcher shop in Deloraine when the collectors walk in with a tin. She pulled out a chequebook and draws a cheque for $100.

It is easy to stay focused and motivated with such support from so many people. Someone offers me a glass of beer and I drank it. It did not do any harm!

The relievers for the next night driving are already there: Kaye Madden, Rosie Bailey, Ian Berry and Peter Moore. Mark, Dennis, Richard and Peter a driving to Burnie to get some sleep and come back next morning. Only my wife Jo is staying. She wants to keep looking after me throughout the whole journey. Back on the road towards Devonport. It is already dark and Kaye is the first to run with me. Most of the "G.A." are fellow members of the Professional Cross Country Club of Tasmania with a lot of running experience. They know it is going to get really hard and they are making sure that they protect me like a little baby. They put their lives on the line for me. I am not allowed to run too close to the white line. They put their own bodies between the traffic and me. Nothing is too much trouble for them. They are so kind. It is after midnight, there is not much traffic, but a little red car full of teenagers goes past with appropriate yelling and shouting. Some time later the same car comes back, stops and we are offered donations. A young man in the back seat pulls out $10 note saying, "I know it is not much!" Are you kidding? The others add up to it so we end up with about $16 from them. Then they turn up and go back. They made a special trip to give us money. The young people these days could not care less some people would say.

My body is now starting to lean to the left. Whether it is the camber of the road I do not know. I am aware of it but cannot stay straight for too long. Another car is stopping and a lady is giving us $5 saying:"When I tell my son that I met you on the road he won't believe me."

It is 2 am and we are getting close to Devonport. Rosie and Ian are on the road with me, but it is mostly walking now. I am trying to remember what I am supposed to do in Devonport. There are some new slip roads through the city, which I do not know. I am completely disoriented. I see obstacles on the road and do not want to trip over. Peter is getting out of the car to walk the next bit with me. Hey, stop the car, it is still moving! Peter assures me that it is not. But I see the front is lifting up and down and the front wheel expanding and again shrinking. And some other objects are appearing and disappearing, it is a different world to what I am used to. I know I am hallucinating, the first time in my life! I enjoy it. I know that what I see is not real, but it is interesting. We are reaching the coast and looking at the sky it looks very strange too. As if I am walking through a tunnel with the stars stuck on the ceiling not too far from me. The white clouds are also hanging above me so close that I can almost reach them.

It is now close to a daybreak and the headwind is getting even colder. I am putting on a few extra layers of clothes. The world has returned to normal, I am not hallucinating any more. Just before we reach Ulverstone my original "G.A." are back and the relievers are going back to Burnie. It is only 30 km left; it's nice and sunny. It is the first time since we left that I feel warm and comfortable. One of our cars has a puncture so they leave us to have it fix. Mechanics in Ulverstone fix the problem but refuse any payment. "It's our contribution to your cause!" We are starting to get calls from the media, everyone is interested to know where we are as it is now obvious that we are going to finish. We estimate the time of arrival in Burnie at 1 pm. A woodcutter with a load of wood is driving past and as he has no money on him, he drives home and comes back to present me with $20 note saying; "I wish I could give you $1,000!" Thank you very much, I know how hard it is to make a $ in that sort of business. Mary Moore and Glen is joining me for the rest of the journey. Many others join in, also my grandchildren Luke, Carly, Samara, Roxanne, Danial and Jacob as well as my two sons Petr and Vlastik and their wives Dessa and Michelle. They are all so excited that I did it. I am so glad that my whole family can share this special moment with me. I am on the top of the world.

There is a huge crowd of people waiting for us in front of the Burnie City Council. I can see the Mayor Alwyn Boyd, Sid Sidebottom MP, and lot of other well wishers waiting to give us a welcome that we will never forget in our lives. Even Jo Chromy, the owner of Tamar Ridge Winery who drove 150 km from Launceston to be there to welcome us and to present a cheque for $300. Someone (Robbie?) organize an ambulance to be there and check my medical condition. I am fine; mostly walking the last hours seemed to do me a lot of good. But I am now overcome with emotions. I am so happy for all of us who were part of this adventure. Many of them do a lot of good work for the community, all behind the scene, getting no recognition. Now they are all there in front of the large cheering crowd, receiving the recognition they deserve -Annette Apted, Trudy and Roslyn Connlley, Carleen and Barry Breaden, Marree Hayes, Michelle Whitwam and Glen Eastley, who apart from his time donated $100 to the moneybox! There are not many dry eyes. Who would have thought, that a simple run could turn into something so significant? Something that inspired so many Tasmanian a brought us all together.

This would not have happened without the great support of the media, the politicians, the Police and above all with the big hearts of the Tasmanian people. We aimed to raise $10,000 but I thought it was a pie in the sky. But we have exceeded it! We are going to make more than one child happy. Thank you Tasmania!

So after 52 hours on the road, covering 349 km it is all over. But it is not the end of it; it will live in our hearts forever. Lots of new friendships have started. And we sure will be thinking: "What next?". As for my condition I could not be happier. My worst injuries were cracked lips and bruised tip of my nose from wiping it all the time with my gloves. I never took my shoes off during the whole time and had no problem whatsoever in spite of estimated 800,000 steps I took during the journey. They are the same Asics Gel- Nimbus as I wore during the Spartathlon with the same result.

I weighed myself before the run - 64 kg. When I finished it was 64.5 Kg! Almost unbelievable, but the credit has to go to my wife Jo and all the good food she was giving to me, including her home made vegetable stew, cheese ( Lactos cheese of course ) sandwiches with liverwurst, egg spread and various cakes and of course a lot of fruit. And as with everything else in every endeavor we need a bit of luck and I had it. But the main part of the luck was the many great people helping me to achieve our goal and I will be grateful to all of them for the rest of my life.

Vlastik Skvaril
Burnie, Tasmania.