Bec Rose, one of our physio’s and an experienced horse-woman, has spent the last year planning her solo horse trek along the Bicentennial National Trail, which spans the east coast of Australia from far north Queensland to Melbourne in her quest to help raise cancer research funds.
Empower Healthcare is a proud sponsor of Bec’s incredible trek, and we will be sharing her preparations leading up and during the adventure in a special ‘Big Horse Trek’ series. In this blog, we reveal why Bec has taken on this massive personal challenge and her fundraising goal
Bec’s Story
Bec’s decision to take on this personal challenge originated during recovery from spinal surgery in July 2018. “While recuperating, I wrote what I considered to be a bastardised form of a Bucket List and “Ride the entire Bicentennial National Trail” that ended up on there as a ’Pie in the sky’ thing to do.”
However, from that day on, the seed had been planted and Bec became even more determined and committed to taking on what is considered to be a challenging and gruelling journey. The Bicentennial National Trail, also referred to as ‘the BNT’ covers 5,330km and follows the Great Dividing Range and the Eastern Escarpment of Australia, offering self-reliant distance trekkers a uniquely Australian adventure with spectacular scenery.
Nonetheless, the BNT is not to be taken lightly and provides access through some of Australia’s wildest, most inaccessible country. Significant preparation, experience, and fitness is paramount to a successful expedition. It is anticipated to take around 12 months with pack horses.
“After 10 years of crap health, I decided I wanted to do something that I would consider important in my life. I was searching for meaning and purpose. After losing my dad to cancer when I was just 13 years old, it was clear to me that it was my time to achieve something for myself and get involved in raising money to vanquish cancer.”
Bec then joined forces with the charity group Love Your Sister to try to raise her goal of $53,330 for cancer research. “I have followed the Love Your Sister charity since it began and I love and respect the work they do in raising money for cancer research, so it was a no-brainer for me to partner with them.
For the last year, I have been attempting to raise money on two fronts;
- Sponsors & Funding to prepare for the trek; to purchase appropriate clothing, equipment, and food for myself and the horses along the way, along with paying for training and other expenses that come with horses (vet bills, vaccinations, etc.).
- Fundraiser donations; contributions for cancer research through the Love Your Sister charity.
I am on a mission to reach out to the general public and raise funds to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer.
Overview of Cancer in Australia
Cancer is a major cause of illness in Australia—there are over 1 million people alive in Australia who are either living with or have lived with cancer. Around 30 years ago, about 5 in 10 people survived for at least 5 years after their cancer diagnosis; more recent figures are closer to 7 in 10 people surviving at least 5 years.
Understanding and avoiding the risk factors associated with cancer can help to reduce the chance of getting cancer, while cancer screening programs increase the likelihood of detecting cancer early, enabling better outcomes from treatments. Improvements in treatments and care are also important contributors to improvements in survival.
Australian Cancer Statistics
- An estimated 145,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia this year
- On average, an estimated 396 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed each day in Australia.
- Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia – almost 50,000 deaths from cancer are estimated for 2019.
- 1 in 2 Australian men and women will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85
- Breast cancer is estimated to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2019, followed by prostate cancer
Sources:
https://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/facts-and-figures.html
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-in-australia-2019/contents/table-of-contents
Support Bec in her amazing journey. Donate to improve cancer patient outcomes, find new medicines and medications, improve treatment options, and survival rates. Click below to donate.
Are you a commercial business that would like to support Bec in her adventure?
Bec is looking to obtain further commercial funding and welcomes discussing partnership arrangements in areas such as:
- Insurance
- Personal loan (interest-free/ delayed interest)
- Horse feed for along the trail
- Money to purchase specialised equipment, support veterinary costs, and other horse training-related costs that need to be done prior to departure
If you’re interested, please contact Bec by email (bighorsetrek@gmail.com) with your contact details so she can call you to discuss opportunities.
You can find out more about Bec’s story and Love Your Sister’s mission by visiting her website.
You can also follow Bec’s journey through her Big Horse Trek social pages
Empower Healthcare are inspired by Bec and her developing story, and we’re thrilled to be able to lend a small hand by financially assisting Bec in preparation for the trek. We intend to spread the word and share her incredible adventure and story with monthly blogs and social posts.