These four blokes
In 2001, four blokes sat in the living room of a rundown share house. Mates since they were kids, they were in their late 20’s and despite being “mature bloomers” (at 19 they were still playing handball and wondering where to meet girls), led happy and adventurous lives.
But there lingered a knowing, a creeping understanding that in a few short years, their lives would mature. Mortgages, families, “real” jobs; the simple times we’re coming to an end.
So they wrote themselves “The Contract”.
The Contract is a tenuous anchor to their adventurous 20’s. Put simply, it asked them to travel 2000km’s across a country they had never visited without the use of motorised transport. It was moderately ambitious but fierce on rhetoric;
"I dare to break free. Let me smash these incarcerating chains that bind me to this multi phobic risk minimisation society” they bleated, like they were caught in 1930’s Siberia.
Fast forward 15 years and the contract remains unsigned. They met their gorgeous partners, built responsible safe careers, signed mortgages and became dotting fathers who quickly and happily settled into suburbia.
But there’s a niggle, a look to the horizon on those brief respites when they’re not treading on Lego or unpacking the dishwasher. It’s not regret, they wouldn’t change a thing. But if they could have more, would it be the contract?
So I wrote to them;
“Let me ask you fellas, when was the last time anyone wrote to you with such a ridiculous proposition? I bet all your e-mails this morning were about bla bla blab bla who cares. But when was the last time someone offered you a taste of adventure?”
The proposition was simple; dress as a superhero and walk the length of the Royal National Park with me.
It’s safe to say we are not at the peak of our fitness. We’re softer, rounder and happy wearing a dad’s full length rashie at the beach “because of the sun”.
So the idea of walking 26km’s across a hostile land dressed as superheroes is not something to be considered lightly.
But within an hour, the superheroes we’re in.
There’s been talk about gear and plans but as one member put it “all you need is a 600ml empty coke bottle filled with water, a few muesli bars, Dunlop Volleys and swimmers for a lunch time dip”. What could possibly go wrong?
And so it is next Friday (23rd September), these four great mates will walk from Bundeena to Otford dressed as superheroes. It’ll be a tough, long, hard day but they know they won’t quit. Because by joining the Superhero Walk, they are helping to raise $10,000 for sick, disadvantaged and disabled kids in the Illawarra.
You’ll meet these superheroes next week but until then, let me ask you;
How much would you pay to see these four superheroes walk the length of the Royal National Park?
Donate to the Superhero Walk today to change a child’s life forever.
