We protect what we love

FRIDAY 30.06.2023.

Good morning friends.

The team at FWP were pretty busy last weekend with two TRACTION events happening - one on Saturday at Yallambie Park (where a whopping 50kg of rubbish was removed from the landscape, including a car tyre, part of a building (?!) and too many plastic bags to count) and the other on Sunday at the Illawarra Escarpment.

As Pride Month comes to an end, this will be the last week that you will see the LGBTQ+ FWP logo (but don't worry, it's not going far - It'll be back next March). We hope that it has served as a weekly reminder of the importance of representation for creating a safe and welcoming space in trail running, outdoor sports and society more broadly.

This week's newsletter

In this week's newsletter, Will provides a summary of the Illawarra escarpment TRACTION event, that had 18 wonderful humans attend and collected 11 extra large bags of rubbish, 5 bags of recyclables, 2 bikes and 1 shopping trolley. We also introduce Trail Chat #15 Phil Gore who is an Australian endurance athlete, Backyard Ultra World Record holder (102 hours) and Australian team for 24-hour running (PB 250km). Finally we link you to some Pilliga Ultra training plans, provided by Salomon athlete Vlad Shatrov. We hope you enjoy the read!

🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

ILLAWARRA ESCARPMENT TRACTION

Thank you from Will

Collecting rubbish as a way to protect the wild place we love to train in. 📷 Tim Siegenbeek van Heukelom.

Thanks so much to those that participated in the TRACTION event held in the beautiful Illawarra escarpment. The site, known to locals as ‘Possums’, is frequented by runners, walkers, mountain bike riders and bush lovers! For runners it’s an important access to escarpment trails including the lower escarpment trail. Due to its accessibility, rubbish tends to build up and it needed some love!

On Sunday, after a beautiful Welcome to Country by Dharawal and Yuin man, Mark Bloxsome, participants got stuck in. 11 extra large bags of rubbish and 5 bags of (pretty clean) recyclables were collected. We were also able to recover several bikes, a shopping trolley and other large items (including some old mining equipment!).

Dharawal and Yuin man Mark Bloxsome doing a Welcome to Country. 📷 Chris Williams.

Big thanks to all who attended and supported the event, in particular the Seacliff Coasters. We’re looking forward to many more TRACTION events where we care for, maintain and improve the trails we love to run in!

Rubbish and recyclables recovered from the Illawarra escarpment. 📷 Tim Siegenbeek van Heukelom.

🗑️ ♻️ 🗑️

TRAIL CHAT #15: PHIL GORE

The best 'backyard' ultramarathon runner in Australia

Phil Gore is an accomplished Australian ultramarathon runner who is on a mission to break the world record for the most consecutive days running at least 5 kms. According to an article on ABC News, Phil Gore embarked on this extraordinary endeavour with the aim of promoting mental health and raising awareness about the importance of physical activity. He began his pursuit of the world record in January 2023 and has been running 5 kms every day since then, rain or shine. Gore's impressive feat demonstrates his dedication, perseverance, and passion for both running and advocating for mental well-being.

In addition to his incredible running streak, Phil Gore maintains a blog where he shares his experiences and insights. He discusses various aspects of his running journey and highlights the physical and mental benefits of consistent exercise. The blog serves as a platform for him to inspire others to prioritise their health and embrace an active lifestyle. Through his writings, Gore offers valuable advice and motivates readers to set their own fitness goals, showing that a commitment to daily physical activity can have a transformative impact on one's well-being.

Overall, Phil Gore's pursuit of the world record for consecutive days running 5 kms exemplifies his passion for running, mental health advocacy, and commitment to inspiring others. His extraordinary feat and dedication demonstrate the power of perseverance and the positive impact of physical activity on mental well-being. Through his blog and ongoing running streak, Gore aims to inspire and encourage individuals to prioritise their health and take steps towards achieving their own goals, both in fitness and in life.

We hope you can join us for July's trail chat. You can sign up here.

🏃🏽 🏅 🏃🏽

FWP AT TEDx KATOOMBA

Today, Hilary is up at the Blue Mountains, presenting at TEDxKatoomba. With the theme 'Perspective', it will no doubt be a day of expansive and open thinking presented by a diverse range of voices, showcasing ideas and new perspectives with no other agenda other than learning.

Hilary presented a working draft of her talk 'Running for Purpose' at the FWP Camp earlier this month, which provided the opportunity for the rest of us to give feedback. I can confidently say that Hilary has an incredible talent at influencing others and her passion for climate action, sustainability and trail running was very evident. From the team at FWP and beyond, we hope you have an incredible time and enjoy every second of it.

🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

PILLIGA ULTRA TRAINING PLANS

Did you hear? Salomon athletes Vlad Shatrov and Tom Batrouney have committed to their most meaningful race of the year - The Pilliga Ultra 50k! In addition, vlad has provided us with a 6km, 20km and 50km training plan to help you get race ready. If you were thinking about signing up, but not sure how to train for the event, then fear not! We've got you covered.

Training plans start on Monday, and help you to build and taper nicely for whatever distance you choose. We'd love to see you there - stay tuned for details on our socials as to how you can utilize these specialised training plans, courtesy of Vlad.

🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

NEXT WEEK

In next week's newsletter, we will give you a sneak peek of Hilary's TEDxKatoomba talk on running for purpose.

And as always, thank you for taking the time for wild places.

Elanor (she/her) & the For Wild Places team

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UPCOMING EVENTS

13/07 Trail chat #15 | Sign Up

09/09 Pilliga Ultra | Sign Up

05/11 East Gippsland Ultra | Pre-Register

We acknowledge the the First Nations people who have been custodians of land, waters and culture for tens of thousands of years. We pay respects to First Nations Elders past, present and emerging.

This email was written on Gadigal land of the Eora nation. To these people, we pay our respects.

Always was, always will be.