Elite Australian & international field tackle the Webber Challenge
F1 drivers, V8 drivers, World Champion adventure racers, tri-athletes and runners, musicians, TV personalities and Olympians will be in Tasmania in November to compete in this year’s Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge (MWPTC).
“To spend this unique event with like-minded individual!s, and experience the chemistry between the teams and the support people, especially because it’s for charity, gives me the most satisfaction out of everything that happens during the week. After some tough days, it’s a great feeling seeing people smiling through their sweat”, says Webber.
Red Bull Racing’s F1 driver Mark Webber has suggested that Renault’s F1 rookie driver Heikki Kovalainen will compete in this year’s MWPTC alongside V8 driver’s Cameron McConville and Paul Dumbrell who are rumoured to be pairing, up in the inaugural 2theXtreme Cup, the elite category of the MWPTC.
Adventure racing is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and the MWPTC has secured two of its biggest names globally. Guy Andrews, fresh off the back of a win in the Anaconda Adventure Race on the Gold Coast will compete alongside Kiwi Richard Ussher, the current World Champion adventure racer.
Both men are arguably the number one and two fittest men on the planet in this discipline and it will be breathtaking to watch them slog it out in Tasmania’s stunning but rugged terrain.
What is truly remarkable – aside from the stellar line-up – is that all competitors are participating in this unique event to raise money for the Mark Webber Challenge Foundation which is raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation and the Save the Tassie Devil Appeal. Two charities close to Webber’s heart.
“The Leukaemia Foundation is excited about being chosen as one of the Charity partners of the MWPTC. It is a great privilege to be involved with such a high profile event. The Leukaemia Foundation relies on the support and generosity of organisations such as the Mark Webber Challenge Foundation which enable us to deliver our patient services. The funds raised will go towards providing ‘home away from home’ accommodation for patients and their families close to treatment centres”, says Ian McDonald, General Manager Leukaemia Foundation.
“The plight of the Tasmanian devil and ensuring the livelihood of the devil population is one of the most important goals for the entire Australian community. It is an icon for Tasmania and what better way to raise further awareness of the Devil Facial Tumour Disease and its affects than by joining forces with the Mark Webber Challenge Foundation. Mark Webber’s association with Tasmania and his true passion for its environment and wildlife is evident in the willingness to be involved in developing devil insurance populations to prevent this precious animal from extinction,” said Dr Steven Smith, Manager of the DFTD Project.
Other competitors confirmed to compete in the inaugural 2theXtreme Cup, include:
- recently retired Olympic swimmer, Michael Klim
- Five-time Olympic rower, James Tomkins
- Australian music legend, Diesel (Mark Lizotte)
- Olympic pole vaulter, Tatiana Grigorieva
- Pro tri-athlete Grace McClure
- ESPN reporter and resident tri-athlete Tiffany Cherry
In addition to the elite squad, there are a number of gung-ho corporate teams entering and challenging the Van Diemen Cup, the non-elite category of the Challenge. Lonely Planet, Telstra, Royal Bank of Scotland and Cadbury Schweppes have all entered teams of four.
In its third year the Challenge has been well supported by the people of Tasmania with its two major sponsors coming from the State. Both organisations have seen a fantastic opportunity to support the event, which in turn supports the Foundation, while attracting people to the wonderful state of Tasmania through their Pure Tasmania and Discover Tasmania programs.
The Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge is a 450km, seven day adventure race which is competed in some of the most isolated and challenging wilderness in Tasmania. Competitors will cycle, kayak and trek their way through the course, all in the name of raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation and the Save the Tassie Devil Appeal.
2007 Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge 17th – 23rd November
www.markwebberchallenge.com