Mt Difficulty Ascent 2022 for Mates in Construction

During our travels to Cromwell, we received a notification that we were dreading to read; the weather had taken a turn. That was an understatement.

Due to health and safety restrictions for the course, a few adjustments have been made, including reducing the distance of the 44km event. Luckily, my 25km event remained the same. A few competitors decided that "discretion was the better part of valour" and pulled out.

Saturday dawned, and the bad weather was looming. On cue at start time, the weather closed in. The first snowfall started as we reached 4km into the event. Last year's event was challenging, and I knew this year was going to hit a new level.

I was thankful that the snow had stopped falling, but looking ahead, my next challenge awaited; the climb. Reaching the peak, the view was nonexistent, and the snow was back in earnest. My will was starting to wain, knowing I had just reached the halfway point. I decided not to worry about my race time and aimed to make it over the finish line.

The following three hours were a mission; considerably one of the most challenging things I have done. Reaching the 5km mark to the finish line, I considered pulling the pin. I'm not going to lie; the tractor shed at the bottom of Nipple Hill looked more inviting.

Thinking about the people who have helped me get to a point where I can participate in something like this, plus all the people who had wished me well and donated to the "Mates in Construction "Givealittle page, my mindset shifted. I knew what I had to do to get to the end.

So I slogged on and crossed the line in 6.18.29. Although it was not the 5-hour time I had hoped for, accomplishing the Mt Difficulty Ascent for the second time was a massive achievement for me.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for your support and donations over the last couple of months. The result has exceeded my expectations, and I'm grateful for every moment of this journey. Please celebrate with me as we have reached the $8,000 mark for the Givealittle page. The page will close on 18th June, and we will appreciate any last-minute contributions to support Mates in Construction with mental health initiatives within the construction industry.