The Why Not? Blog

At the tender age of 25 Dave started skateboarding. 14 months later he became the first person to skate the length of Britain. Another 8 months on he had crossed Australia on his board, breaking a world record & raising over £20,000 for three charities. Now, at 27, he's writing his first book, is a motivational speaker and a businessman, and he's only just gotten started on a lifetime of challenges which from the outside look just darn crazy. So, why? You know the answer, don't you. Why not?

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Healing with Norseman

There’s a very hairy caterpillar halfway up our front door. It is about 5 inches long, fat as a swollen thumb and has a face like a baboon. “How do you think it got there?” Kate asks me. “Did it fall off the tree and land on the door?” I laugh out loud but she doesn’t stop, “Well that’s how they get places,” she stresses, “they fall off plants.”

Down below, rubbish is strewn across the ground. Kate heard a thrashing sound earlier and growled, “It’s the crows!” She rushed to the door followed quickly by Holly. Sure enough, a large black crow walked pompously away from a pecked rubbish bag. Kate shut the door and put her fist in the air, “Yes! I knew it! Crows!” She’s on one today.

As dusk grew yesterday afternoon I walked back to the motel after an hour-long interview with Dimitri. The plan all along had been to have everything ready in time to get back on the road in the morning, but Becki and Bev were still shopping at the supermarket, clothes boxes remained unpacked and the logistical challenge of packing the vehicles whilst taking into account several cubic feet of donated water was not yet a challenge met.

I wandered up to the main building of the Great Western hotel and spoke quietly to Russell, whose wife Pat manages the hotel. “How’s it looking?” he asks me, nodding towards our vehicles.
“We’re getting there mate but it’s taking some time. The plan was to leave tomorrow but I’m not willing to push on until we’re totally prepared and we’re running out of light now. Do you think it would be possible to stay one more night and then leave on Monday?”
“I don’t see that there’d by any dramas,” he shrugged, “but I’ll check with Pat first. I’ll do that and come down in about ten minutes.”
“Of course mate, thanks Russell.”

Ordinarily I’d baulk at the idea of an unscheduled rest day but we’ve learnt our lessons from BoardFree UK. Despite the obvious need to get the vehicles in order and piece together the puzzle of personal items, team kit and food and water, my body is aching and needed another day of rest. “How are you coping with the skating itself,” Dimitri asked me earlier during our interview, “physically how are you feeling after skating 750km in two weeks?” I had rested my chin on my hand, sighed deeply and replied, “I realised a couple of days ago that I’m used to being constantly in pain. My muscles ache, my joints ache, my back aches, my feet ache. I’m perfectly able to carry on this journey, but at the same time it’s not healthy just to accept this constant pain.”

For me, getting to Brisbane and breaking this world record is absolutely going to happen. Had everything gone smoothly and we were packed up and ready to go I would have been back on my board this morning. As it is, I’m glad my body has another day to rest. The next road, the Eyre Highway, is the longest one yet, stretching across the Nullarbor Plain towards Port Augusta and Adelaide. This road on its own will take longer for me to skate than the entire length of Britain. This prospect doesn’t phase me, I have never looked at this journey as a whole. I’ll take it day by day and reach my targets each day, that’s the only was we’re getting across to the East coast.

Now, on a dull Sunday morning by WA standards, I lie in an immensely comfortable bed writing my blog as outside the sky darkens and the wind gusts throughout the delightful Great Western Hotel complex. Pat and Russell have been generous and friendly hosts and I have a feeling that they’re sitting on a little nest egg here. Last night Russell drove myself and another five members of the team (Bev and Becs were into their fifth hour of food shopping by the time we left) around Norseman, showing us the sights, giving us the history of the town. My highlight of this unofficial tour was undoubtedly reaching the top of Beacon Hill. To the west and down below, the town of Norseman and the Salt Lake that borders its north and west sides, Lake Cowan. To the east a humbling sight. A spread of uninterrupted green, a flat plain stretching hill-less all the way to the horizon. This is the Nullarbor my friends, it’ll take a month or so to cross and there is very little in the middle, and that includes internet access. We aim to reach Ceduna, the town marking the east-end of the Plain, on the 6th or 7th October. Don’t be alarmed if it takes a little longer, I’ve heard word that they’ve ripped up a 50km stretch of the Eyre Highway about 100km outside of Norseman. That means no sealed surface for me to skate on. And that means a good bit of walking.

See you on the other side.

3 Comments:

  • At 8:36 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Best wishes Dave. I'm glad you've decided to take another day to get sorted. No point in rushing it and forgetting something, or being too tired to give it your all. Have a day, then go and do the business, mate. I was at a party last night and someone took it upon themselves to do a collection for me - and raised £40! Hugs and best wishes to all x

     
  • At 12:07 pm, Blogger Bam Bam said…

    Rock On!

     
  • At 5:20 pm, Blogger Badger Madge said…

    Hi Dave,
    Sorry to hear you're in so much pain. Maybe when you get back, you can come and relax in Bath's new spa – that'll sort those weary bones.
    Thinking of you lots; I know you can do this.
    All the best,
    M x

     

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