I’ve had a busy year already after climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in early January. I also did some volunteer work in an orphanage and schools in Tanzania – even taking English classes for 10 year old Tanzanian kids!
When I returned home I started my 2nd year of Aviation at Griffith University.
In our Uni holidays (June/July), Dad and I grabbed our motorbikes and motorbiked around Australia – we managed to visit every State and Territory and visit every capital city in 30 days.
The Gibb River Road through the Kimberleys in Western Australia was spectacular, with Tasmania’s West Coast being another highlight.
After that, on February 2, I’m heading over to the famous ski resort town of Nozawa Onsen to ski Japan for couple of weeks with my brother and sister. Looking forward to grabbing the snowboard and having some fun.
Rather thrilled to be announced today as Telstra’s Local Hero here on the Gold Coast.
The Burleigh Heads store, with manager Kevin Mailer leading the team, have been great to me with providing some incredible products including a Motorola Xoom tablet.
It’s absolutely amazing.
Kevin hands over the brilliant Motorola Xoom
Fantastic Support Of The Local Community By Telstra
Regardless that it’s me who’s benefiting from the sponsorship, it’s really great that Telstra has gotten behind their local communities to support. They do a lot and this is a wonderful way to continue that.
Telstra have also provided me with some cash to spread around to my favourite sporting groups, so I’ll be doing that shortly too.
Thanks again to Kevin and the entire Telstra for the support.
Schools teams have to have an adult leader with them – with teachers leading the other 2 teams, the school asked me to step in and lead a team of 4 boys.
We completed the Challenge in a little over 29 hours – amazing effort by the boys to finish, though we did have 2 unable to continue on after 50 km.
I did a speech a few weeks back to 400 Grade 9 students at the yLead leadership day.
Thanks to those people who did the survey after to let me know how I did – 13 people did the survey and they all went in the draw to win an iPod Shuffle and a $50 iTunes Gift card.
The draw was done by my dog!
And the winner is…….watch the video below.
I’m Now Working
I’m taking a year to do a few things before I get into my aviation career.
I’m currently working for my dad on this cool bike storage web site.
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Mr Stan Bisset, a true Australian hero.
Harry (my brother), Dad and I met Mr. Bisset a few weeks back when we went and had afternoon tea with Stan and his wife Gloria in Coolum.
Mr. Bisset then arranged for Harry and I and our Kokoda Challenge team to go along to the 2/14th Battalion reunion in Brisbane, which was an enormous thrill for us all.
Mr Bisset was a remarkable Australian and the nation is poorer for his loss.
I managed to struggle through the Gold Coast Half Ironman Triathlon yesterday raced in terrible conditions – poured rain all day.
Dad got a funny photo of me about to jump in the water – that’s me in the pink cap, without a wet suit, with 100 or so wet suit clad people in the background.
Mr Hogan, one of the teachers at my school (Elanora High), has worked very hard over the past few years to get a very popular program going revolving around tackling the grueling 96 km Kokoda Challenge for charity here on the Gold Coast.
This year the school had 3 teams of 4 students and a teacher competing in the full distance (96 km) (I think there were 66 school teams in total) and quite a number of teams doing the half Kokoda.
I was in one of those 3 teams tackling the 96 km track along with:
my brother Harry,
friends Ryan and Nathan and
Mr Hogan.
We Won & Broke The Old Record
We were lucky enough to have everything go right for us – including having an incredible Support Crew of parents and brothers and sisters – and were able to achieve our 2 goals for the trek:
be the first school team to finish, and
break the old record of 19 hours and 36 minutes (we beat it by 21 minutes).
We were awarded the Stan Bisset Cup for being the first school team.
Thanks to Mr Hogan, teachers, our Support Crew and the other Elanora High lads who we walked/ran with for most of the way.
An incredible achievement by all teams to finish.
Met Stan Bisset MC OAM MID
Harry and I read up on Mr Bisset – he’s a Kokoda Hero, a recipient of the Military Cross and Order of Australia Medal and Australia’s oldest living Wallaby (Australia’s Rugby team players).
We found out he lives on the Sunshine Coast and called to see if he’d like a visit from a couple of lads who are very proud to have won the Cup named in his honour.
Mr Bisset and his lovely wife Gloria made us feel very welcome and were a real joy to chat with.
Harry and I feel very honoured to have met such an inspirational and giving person.
I’m back from flying for a couple of weeks at Tamworth as part of the flight screening to get accepted as a pilot in the Australian Defence Force Academy.
Did a ton of flying with lots of aerobatics, fantastic instructors and a great group of guys on my course. The flight back home was a little dull after flying rolls, loops and lots more!
I was lucky enough to be recommended.
Ran Gold Coast Half Marathon Yesterday
Arrived home on Saturday and then ran the Gold Coast Half Marathon on Sunday morning. I did the full marathon last year and thought I’d see if I could do the Half in under 1 & 1/2 hours.
Ran okay and slowed in the last few kilometres to come in at 1 hr 32 mins and 34 secs.
My mum ran her first ever marathon and did an amazing job – her 3 goals were:
to finish,
run all the way and
run under 5 hours.
She did all that and we’re all bursting with pride.
Next up I have the 96 km Kokoda Challenge where my team (my brother Harry, and friends Ryan and Nathan and teacher Mr Hogan) are aiming to break the schoolboy record.
We’ve been training really hard, so we could give it a decent crack.
Then It Gets Easier!
After that it gets easier!
I then have a school trip to tropical Herron Island, the school skiing trip, then a trip to New York to do some work with Big Brothers Big Sisters International.
I’m also going to run the Brisbane Half Marathon on August 1 – trying to get under the 1 hr 30 mins for the 21.1 kilometres.
Still Doing Speeches
I’m still doing a few speeches around the place to:
Scout groups,
community and
business groups – so if your organisation would like me to come along (usually with my dad) to talk about our ride across Australia to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Australia then I’d love to hear from you: jack@jacksinclair.com.au.
In September 2008, 15 year old Jack Sinclair and his dad Brendon, will cycle 4,500 kms across Australia (from Perth to Surfers Paradise) in just 30 days.
The ride will be used to raise to help raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Australia - a fantastic organisation who match up mentors to children who need a positive role model. Let's give a helping hand.
Ride Ambassador is Robbie McEwen
Cycling legend Robbie McEwen is our Ride Ambassador and said:
"For a young man of just 15 years of age to undertake this huge journey with the discipline and commitment he is showing is inspiring."
Brendon is a former Ironman Triathlete, marathon runner, marathon swimmer, ultra endurance cyclist......and male nurse (that's where he met Jack's mum - she was a nurse too).
Brendon is 41 and looks a lot older!
Mel (Jack's mum) looks very, very young and we will not divulge her age!
Take Our Survey
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And don't forget that you are supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Australia.
