Making strides to combat poverty
New Plymouth team is taking on the challenge of the New Zealand Oxfam Trailwalker event later this month
Taranaki’s Bioboosters will take the Oxfam Trailwalker one step at a time, team leader Chad Williams says. “The journey of a million steps starts with the first one.”
The New Plymouth-based team of four are among the many teams taking on the challenge of the New Zealand Oxfam Trailwalker event later this month.
For the past 16 years, the charity walk has raised funds for Oxfam to combat poverty in New Zealand. Walkers can complete courses of either 25km, 50km or 100km.
2024 will be the final year of the event in New Zealand, so for Williams and his teammates it was a case of now or never.
“It’s a tremendous thing and we’ve all decided to give it a go before the event finishes. Being at home means we know the area and the trail actually takes us past our own houses so that’s quite special.”
It will be Williams and fellow teammate Mikayla Register’s first time taking part in an Oxfam Trailwalker event. For the other two teammates, Nathaniel Bearman and Hamish McCook, this will be their second time entering the charity walk.
Nathaniel entered the event six years ago in Whakatane and he’s looking forward to the Taranaki walk.
“I think the highlight is when you finish and look back at what you’ve accomplished, it’s quite a special feeling. Hamish competed in the event two years ago.”
The team will participate in the 100km walk, no small feat, Williams says.
“We’ve done a little training, but I suppose we’re rocking up with the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. The first and last kilometre of the walk will be the easiest and we’ll support each other through the other 98km.”
They will have a six-person support crew on the day.
“It’s a big commitment on their part to start early and finish late. They’ll be working in shifts and I know that support will be vital to our success.”
The team all work at Beca, an engineering consulting company, and Williams says their team name is a tribute to the project they’re working on together.
“Bio boost is a product made after treating wastewater and the project we’re working on is upgrading a wastewater treatment plant.”
Register says it will be a mental and physical challenge.
“It’ll be fun to do with the work team but I think the biggest hurdle is the mental side.”
As well as completing the 100km walk the team have had to raise money for Oxfam Trailwalker.
“They have a donation page set up on the Oxfam Trailwalker website and have enjoyed watching the donations come in, Williams says. “So far we’ve raised $1400.”