Fitness, friendship and a good cause were the key reasons participants gave for joining thousands of mostly women and quite a few men who walked in teams of four along Sunshine Coast beaches to Noosa last Friday, raising money for the Heart Foundation.
Hospital workers Fiona, Katie and Katina have walked with Coastrek for a number of years. This year they walked 45km to help the Heart Foundation.
The group praised volunteers who supported them along the way. Saying it was hotter than they had expected they looked forward to a glass of Prosecco promised at the finish line.
It was the second Coastrek for Jo Somerfield and Carlie Hay who walked 30km “for the walk and camaraderie and to raise money for the Heart Foundation“.
The Sunshine Coast Coastrek saw participants walk from Currimundi Beach (60km), Alexandra Headland Beach (45km), Mudjimba (30km) or Coolum (20km) to Noosa and their efforts have raised about $800,000 for the Heart Foundation.
Since the first event in 2009, Coastrek, which was created by Wild Women On Top, has transformed millions of lives globally by both improving the health of participants and raising millions of dollars for charity.
Coastrek is a series of team trekking and fundraising walks along spectacular coastal trails around Australia. In 2023, treks have been organised along Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the Mornington Peninsula, the Sunshine Coast, the Fleurieu Peninsula and Margaret River.
“Coastrek is all about friends and colleagues training, fundraising and hiking together as a team of four – it’s more fun, it keeps you on track and you’ve always got a buddy to encourage you. And Event Day is even sweeter when you have a team to celebrate with at the finish line,“ organisers said.
Over the years more than 64,000 trekkers have trained and completed Coastrek with friends, improving their own health and wellbeing and raising over $45 million for charity partners The Fred Hollows Foundation (2009-2018), Beyond Blue (2018-2022) and from 2023, the Heart Foundation.
