Racing to make history |
| Written by By MATT MALONE: Weekend Advertiser |
The single-mother of two has set April 4th as the commencement date and believes the historic voyage, starting in Sydney, will take her approximately 200 days. Mycroft has been one of Australia's premier long-distance runners over the past 10 years, competing all over the world. She purchased a property outside Wagga just over 12 months ago. She has had the trip on the cards for the past 14 years, but has put all the logistics together in just the last 6 weeks and simply cannot wait to begin. "I am eager to get started so I can get the first couple of weeks out of the way," Mycroft said. "Those first couple of weeks will be the hardest. "Once I get in the swing of things I should be right." Mycroft has spoken to and received help from Pat Farmer, who became the male record holder smashing Ron Grants record back in 1999. The 32-year-old has competition, however, to become the first woman to conquer the almighty task. Tasmanian breast cancer survivor Deborah De Williams is also out to achieve the world record and begins her run from Hobart on March 27 in an anticlockwise direction aroudn Australia, eight days before Mycroft. Mycroft has been contemplating the run for 14 years but has decided to get started in a bid to create history. "I am determined to become the first woman which is why I want to get the run started soon," Mycroft said. "In the process, I want to make a tough record that will hopefully stand for decades to come." The race between the pair is set to attract plenty of interest across the country.De Williams has set aside 356 days, while Mycroft hopes to do it in a quicker time. Mycroft is also doing the run in support of the Mindd Foundation and hopes to raise in excess of $250,000 for the charity. "My steely resolve to finish it is due to the pledge I've made to the Mindd Foundation," Mycroft said. "I really want to let people know about their great work and for people to learn and change the way they feed their kids." Mycroft's children Bonnie (4) and Austin (1) will both travel with her and the six-person support team. "Bonnie is really looking forward to seeing a lot of beaches, living in Wagga she obviously doesn't get there very often," Mycroft said. "She's very excited by the whole idea of living on a converted bus." Mycroft is hopeful she can generate enough corporate sponsorship to help her on the trip. Mycroft will also visit schools across the country throughout the trip to promote healthy living, recycling and setting and achieving goals. More details will be available at Mycroft's website www.onelapnoexcuses.com |
