25/05/2026
I am immensely proud of my son Harvey, who took on the with me on Sunday.
We woke up at 5am, preparing for what was one of the most gruelling challenges I’ve ever done. What stood out most wasn’t just the physical effort.. but Harvey’s mindset, resilience & determination.
No complaints, no hesitation, just a willingness to step into something even I, as an adult, felt nervous about.
We arrived in cold, foggy, wet conditions, quickly realising how much more prepared others were & how many things we forgot for ourselves.
In the chaos, we made mistakes. forgot to drop our water at the bike station, overpacked our gear (carrying 6L of water! to be prepared) & had to figure things out on the fly. But that’s the point… we learnt by throwing us into the deep end.
From a freezing kayak start, dragging through muddy checkpoints (losing shoes in sinking mud) to trail runs with steep elevations & getting lost deep in the bush, trying to navigate with a compass. it tested us in every way. The bike leg pushed us even further. Harvey’s back started hurting from the pack, so I carried it for him as we tackled some pretty extreme mountain biking terrain. But beyond the physical challenge, it was the mental side, navigating unfamiliar territory, making decisions under fatigue, getting it wrong, doubling back & only to realise afterwards it was just a little extra to make it to the next point.
After 4.5 hours, exhausted & in the rain, we made the call to shorten the course. We had chosen the full classic course—roughly 24km ride, 15km trail run & 4km kayak—well beyond the novice option. Doing each discipline on its own is one thing… doing them back-to-back in tough conditions while navigating is something else entirely.
But what I’ll take away from this isn’t the challenge—it’s the experience. Harvey showed incredible perseverance & character. At just 10 yrs, he demonstrated qualities that I’m so proud of & excited to help develop as he grows.
More than anything, it strengthened our bond. Out there, it wasn’t just father & son.. it was teammates learning to communicate, support each other & push through challenges together.
An experience I’ll never forget ❤️