A Forresters Beach resident will trek 60 kilometres to help raise money to combat avoidable blindness.
Ms Tara Barnett is among 3,700 trekkers gearing up for the Wild Women on Top of Sydney Coastrek on March 17.
The trek stretches from Manly to Bondi to Kirribilli and back to Bondi, and aims to raise more than $2 million for The Fred Hollows Foundation.
Ms Barnett has been in training for the event with friends from Mingara One Gym, with the countdown to the event fast approaching.
“I have close friends who are visually impaired and I find their motivation and passion for life to be an inspiration,” Ms Barnett said.
“In addition to raising funds and awareness for The Fred Hollows Foundation, we are keen to push the boundaries on our regular group fitness regimes, both physically and mentally.
“We have all become really close over the last six months so we are excited to motivate each other right to the end, as well as raise money and awareness for an important charity,” Ms Barnett added.
Coastrek began in Sydney in 2010 and nearly 19,000 trekkers have raised more than $14 million for The Fred Hollows Foundation since then.
The funds have restored sight for hundreds of thousands of people and also helped prevent avoidable blindness by training local eye doctors and health workers to provide eye health awareness, screening and treatment.
This year’s fundraising goal of $2.8 million could give the gift of sight to up to 112,000 people, as The Foundation can restore sight for as little as $25 in some countries.
Founding Director of The Fred Hollows Foundation, Ms Gabi Hollows, said it was inspiring to see so many people join the fight to end avoidable blindness.
“There are 32.4 million people in the world who are blind, and four out of five of them don’t need to be,” she said.
“This year we mark the 25th anniversary of The Fred Hollows Foundation and I am incredibly moved and inspired to see people still going to such great lengths to help realise Fred’s vision of a world where no person is needlessly blind.
“To everyone participating in this year’s Sydney Coastrek, thank you for giving the gift of sight by taking on this challenge.
“We are incredibly grateful for your support.”
Founder and CEO of Wild Women on Top Coastrek, Ms Di Westaway, said Sydney Coastrek was a way for women to come together for their own health and wellbeing, while also changing the lives of others.
“Coastrek helps women feel awesome about themselves and about helping others.
“It supports them in regaining their confidence, often after health or personal challenges, and helps them to be active and healthy,” she said.
“Coastrek has an even greater impact on the millions of women and girls who make up two-thirds of the world’s blind.
“By taking part in Coastrek, women are restoring sight to other women, which helps them to return to work so they can provide for themselves and their families, and also helps girls to return to school and continue their education,” Ms Westaway said
Media release,
Feb 9, 2017
Megan Reynolds, The Fred Hollows Foundation