Telstra's Next G™ network will help track the progress of competitors as they tough it out in some of Tasmania's roughest terrain in the 2008 Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge. Each team will be equipped with a Next G™ handset to stay in contact with base during the five day adventure race (19-23 November) considered to be the toughest corporate event in the world.
Using a Next G™ wireless card and mobile device the event's namesake, Mark Webber will keep family, friends and fans updated on his and the event's progress with regular updates to his website (www.markwebberchallenge.com).
Not only is Telstra the official communications partner of the annual 2008 Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge, six Telstra people - including Group Managing Director for Telstra Consumer David Moffatt - are in the challenge to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia.
From Wednesday 19 November you can track the progress of the teams on the Mark Webber Challenge site (www.markwebberchallenge.com).
Funds raised from the 2008 Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge will go to The Leukaemia Foundation and Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal. You can help by making a tax deductible contribution (www.everydayhero.com.au).
David Moffatt talks about the Mark Webber Challenge
In this short video David talks about the technology that will help him and his team mates in the Challenge, what it takes to prepare for such a gruelling event and why he gets involved.
Running Time: 05min 02sec (Note: YouTube Access Required)
Telstra people are competing in the following various endurance events as part of the 2008 Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge:
Ambassadors Cup (three day event)
Group Managing Director of Telstra Consumer David Moffatt (www.davidmoffatt.com.au), and Jacinta Worland, Associated Account Representative in Telstra Business (and Ironman distance professional athlete) will compete in the invitational Ambassadors Cup for pairs. In their first year as a team pair, this diverse duo is prepared to give it their all.Van Diemen Cup (five day event)
This Telstra team from various parts of the business are the defending champions of the Van Diemen Cup (with Keith as a new addition). Having placed second overall last year, they have first place on their minds in 2008. Learn about these great competitors... Richard Palmer, Philip Barrett, Mark Comer and Keith Mearns.
You can track the progress of the teams and get updates from Mark Webber throughout the 2008 Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge on the website (www.markwebberchallenge.com).
Update:
Watch Mark Webber's shout out to Telstra from the Mark Webber Challenge in Tasmania.
Running time: 0min 41sec (Note: YouTube Access required)
Photos:
Above: Images from the 2007 Mark Webber Challenge
Biographies
Keith is a new addition to the successful Team Telstra for this year's Mark Webber Challenge. His sporting interests began with rugby union and cross country as a schoolboy. He successfully completed his first triathlon in 2004, and after a few years of competing Keith has slowly migrated to endurance events, completing his first 100km ultra marathon in 2006. Since then he has completed several ultra marathons and multi-day adventure races. Although only relatively new to adventure racing, for Keith the satisfaction is in pushing as hard as possible and finishing the event with both eyes firmly on the way ahead.
Mark's sporting involvement started with Australian Rules football, basketball and swimming as a schoolboy, as well as Karate which he’s studied since 1994. He still claims to be relatively new to endurance sports having competed in his first short course triathlon in 2004, and never having run further than 10km prior to this - and got hooked. He has competed in two Ironman triathlons in 2005 - one in Forster, Mid North Coast NSW and the other in Panama City Beach, Florida. Since then he has become an adventure racing enthusiast, racing as part of the successful men's Team Telstra in the Mark Webber Challenge in 2006 and 2007.
Richard's sporting interests started with cycling, rowing, rugby union, running and swimming as a schoolboy. He has rowed in the Australian Championships and represented NSW country in Rugby Union but his main interest over the years has been Triathlons. Richard has competed for the Bondi Running and Triathlon (BRAT) club over the last 20 years in many events. After a move to Newcastle the focus has changed to cycle racing on Mountain bikes as well as Road Racing. A keen interest in running events has developed into an emphasis on off and on-road Marathons with favourite events like the Six Foot Track, Mt Wilson to Bilpin and the Gold Coast Marathon. Further interest in adventure racing includes the recent Teva serious and being part of the successful men's Team Telstra in the Mark Webber Challenge in 2006 and 2007.
Phil has a wide range of sporting interests including running, cycling (road and MTB), kayaking, hockey, triathlons and adventure racing.
Having grown up in Perth, Western Australia, Philip earlier in his sporting career was a member of various state and national hockey teams including the Australian Men's Indoor hockey team, Australian Universities Hockey Team, the Perth Thundersticks National Hockey League Team and the West Australian U/21 Hockey team. His international experience includes as a player in 1994 in the German Bundesliga (National League with Club an Der Alster - Hamburg). Philip was also captain of the Australian Men's Indoor Hockey Team tour of New Zealand in 1998 and Captain of the Australian Men's Indoor Hockey Team tour of South Africa in 2000/01.
Philip has also raced in the Australian Ironman Triathlon in 2001 and the New Zealand Ironman Triathlon in 2002 and 2003, was a Member of the Australian Olympic Distance Triathlon Team to Hawaii in 2005 and is a multiple Melbourne Trailwalker and Gold Coast Marathon Finisher.
Philip's most recent adventure racing achievements are as the winner of the Mark Webber Challenge Adventure Race corporate team category with Telstra in 2006 and 2007. Philip is currently playing top-level veteran’s hockey with Camberwell and also participating in running, MTB, swimming, kayaking and adventure racing events.
Jacinta has competed as a professional Triathlete for 10 years and competed in age group and professional races in Olympic distance for 5 years. Jacinta also competed in 3 world championships as an age group athlete, including: Worlds in 98 in Lausanne Switzerland finishing in 10th place overall; Worlds in Montreal Canada in 1999 and finished 4th; and World championships in Perth 2000 coming 7th place.
Jacinta then took up Ironman distance and raced in Forster ironman. Jacinta has also raced in events such as Ironman Australia (Apr 07), Ironman Western Australia (Nov 2004) and Ironman Australia (Apr 03).
Jacinta has also raced many half marathon and full marathon races and last year rode from Brisbane to Sydney over 10 days raising money for cancer to help support work by Camp Quality and in the fight against Breast cancer and Prostate cancer. Overall, the team Jacinta rode in raised $440,000.