Mollymook Surf Club members will tackle the unpredictable waters off the Turkish coast as they take part in the two-day Gallipoli 100 Surfboat Challenge this week
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Sweep Barry Page and 10 rowers will take on teams from New Zealand and Turkey in the 53 kilometre event as they represent Australia in a surfboat inscribed the names of Milton-Ulladulla residents who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I.
The boat race will be held from Ecebat to North Beach in the lead up to the official 100th anniversary commemorative service to be held at Gallipoli on Anzac Day.
Some of the group will be selected to attend the Anzac Cove dawn service and will lay a wreath on behalf of our community, while others will be chosen to take part in a Gallipoli landing re-enactment in the Mollymook boat on the nearby peninsula.
Rower Craig Matthews has a passionate interest in war history and the Gallipoli campaign and has always wanted to visit Anzac Cove.
“When the opportunity came up to row in Turkey around to Anzac Cove, I couldn’t pass it up,” he said.
“Rowing has been my life, I love jumping in the boat with my mates and have been involved with Mollymook Surf Life Saving since a nipper, rowing competitively for Mollymook since a junior.
“I have made many great mates and memories over the years and I was keen to add to it by this once in a lifetime experience.
“I’m keen to seek an adventure like the young lads from the Milton-Ulladulla district did 100 years ago.
“It will be a very emotional time and it’s quite hard to even explain the emotions that I’ve had so far, trying to imagine what those young men went through all those years ago.”
Craig’s great uncle Eric Millard fought in France on the Western Front during World War I and he was one of the lucky ones who did return home.
“The experience will be amazing, I’m happy to be able to represent Mollymook alongside great friends,” he added.
Long time surf club member Stuart Turnbull now resides in Singapore and said, after missing Anzac Day events for 13 years he was thrilled to be taking part.
“This was always an event that I was never going to miss,” he said.
“The Gallipoli landing holds a great deal emotion for all Australians and New Zealanders.
“My great uncle Max Ewin was killed during the first landing so I feel I have a connection with the place.
“To be honest I’m not sure what I will feel when I’m there but every time I think about it I get chills up my spine thinking how those soldiers gave up their lives so that we could have our freedom today.
“One feeling that I will have for certain is that I will feel very proud to be an Australian. “
Both Lesley Gagan’s grandfathers fought in World War II and her husband’s great uncle William Hitchen started the original Cooee March from Gilgandra and his grandfather fought in Europe in WWI.
“I am very proud to be representing Mollymook Surf Club and we have trained both in the gym and gradually over longer distances to build up the stamina for the race.,” she said.
“Having been to Gallipoli once before it will certainly be a moving experience and an honour to be present at the official dawn service.”
Rower John Patterson said emotions would run high during the events, with the local group not only representing Mollymook, but the Australian nation as a whole.
“It will be just so moving and a once in a lifetime experience,” he added.
Also flying the Aussie flag will be rowers Len Bolin, Russell Bartlett, Ken Burton, Di LeStrange, Gary Gavegan from Wollongong and Darren Jones from Melbourne.
