Hi there,

I’m Toby, a happily married father of two. I turned 40 this year, and this is my plan to help me fight off a mid-life crisis - with a brutal 72-hour fitness challenge… but before I explain all that, here’s a little more about me.

I grew up as a sport loving country lad. My love of sport saw me completing a degree in Physical Education, I taught for a few years in Echuca. Four years abroad travelling and working as a water ski instructor on superyachts and at water-ski schools in the USA were some of the best times of my life. 

Since then, work has been busy. Family life is hectic. And sport is still a huge part of my life.

I’ve recently been inspired by a few ordinary people, who’ve completed extraordinary and inspiring sporting achievements.

The first – Alex Honnold, an American rock climber who climbed the famous ‘El Capitan’, without a rope… do yourself a favour and watch ‘Free Solo’!!!

The second – Ned Brockman, a young Aussie guy who ran from Perth to Sydney in 47 days to raise money for the homeless.

So it’s time for me to get off the couch and challenge myself. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means aiming for feats comparable to Alex and Ned, but I’ve got to start somewhere right??? So here’s the plan:

Toby’s Mid-Life Challenge:

72 hours to complete:

• 24 x ‘CrossFit Hero Workouts/WODs’

• 24 miles of running (38.6 kilometers)

• 2.4 miles of swimming (3.86 kilometers)

*The running and swimming to be partitioned as required*

I’ll be raising money for two charities, of which each will receive the total funds raised in equal share.

1. ‘A Good Kitchen’ - which is ran by volunteers who prepare meals once a week in Swan Hill for those struggling financially to put food on the table themselves.

2. ‘Victoria Police Legacy’ – provides services to police families who have suffered the loss of their loved one should they have been a serving or retired officer. Legacy is there to provide ongoing support to the spouse/partner and children.

What is a ‘CrossFit Hero WOD’???? (WOD = Workout Of the Day)

When a service member dies in the line of duty, a CrossFit hero workout is created in their name. It is an American concept, which is an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of the fallen.

Here’s just one example of a Hero WOD (probably the most famous):

‘Murph’

For time, complete:

- 1.6km run

- 100 pull-ups

- 200 push-ups

- 300 air squats

- 1.6km run

* Wear a 9kg weight vest

* Partition the Pull-ups, Push-Ups and Air Squats as needed

I plan to kick the challenge off with ‘Murph’ at 6am on Friday the 8th of December at Specialized Gym in Swan Hill. The full challenge timetable can be found below, but just quickly, I’m also planning on competing in another local challenge held over the weekend, the Lake Boga Bank2Bank. It is a swimming race from one side of Lake Boga to the other. This will contribute towards the swimming component of my challenge.

Secondly, if you have a business or sporting club that would like to sponsor the challenge then I’d love to hear from you. And remember, all funds raised will go to the two charities. I’m not asking for a specific amount, I’m happy to leave that decision up to you.