Team Profile – Ganaraska Hiking Trail

We are delighted to have representation from the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association (GHTA) this year. Led by team captain Laura Browne, she and her team members Tom Hall, Maria Garrett and Beverley Robson are participating to ensure the association is well-represented at this prestigious event.

The Ganaraska Trail Blazers have raised $5975 so far - more than double the team minimum amount of $2500. They are proud to say they have the support of the entire Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association behind us, as they represent three different sections of the trail. Tom and Laura represent the Wilderness section, Bev Robson is from the Kawartha section and Maria Garrett is from the Pine Ridge section. They have all done a lot of training for distance, in the challenging wilderness, in the heat, and a night walk. They feel ready to meet the challenge of the Trailwalker event. They will be supported on the trail by Rolf Tomlins and Bruce Williamson “are our very able support team for the Trailwalker” Laura reports.

Laura is a Secondary school teacher, Director and Wiki Moderator of the GHTA Wilderness section. Her best hikes were the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland and the Lake Superior Coastal Trail and her favourite place is Ganaraska Hiking Trail Wilderness Section because of the remoteness, peace, and beauty.

Laura says "I'm doing the Oxfam Trailwalker to challenge myself physically, mentally and psychologically while raising funds for a global aid organization. The fun is not just the challenge of the event itself, but all the training and preparation beforehand, both by the team that is walking the trail, and the support crew."

Tom is a retired Manager in the health care field, President of the GHTA Wilderness section and an avid hiker since hiking the entire Bruce Trail as a millennium project 1999-2000. He is a certified hike leader, enjoys backpacking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and canoeing. He is also the recipient of Hike Ontario "Long Distance Hiking Award".

Here’s what Tom has to say "I'm doing the Oxfam Trailwalker in order to ensure that the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association is well-represented in this prestigious event. I'm looking forward to the challenge of hiking 100 km in 48 hours on the Ganaraska Trail with my team, the Ganaraska Trail Blazers."

Maria lives in beautiful Cobourg for the past 2 years. She is a dental hygienist and wants everyone to know she will have plenty of dental floss on hand for the team. As an avid dragon boater, she was encouraged by fellow paddlers to try hiking with the Pine Ridge Hiking Club and discovered a new passion. She is inspired by fellow hikers to try new challenges. She completed the Frontenac Challenge this past Oct. and is looking forward to hiking in Gros Morne in early July. She has been hiking sections of the Bruce Trail - especially in the Peninsula area.

Maria says "This is the biggest physical and mental challenge I've voluntarily taken on. I'm a little bit nervous, but very excited and look forward to successfully crossing the finish line with all of my team-mates, proudly representing the Pine Ridge Hiking Club and the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association and raising money for Oxfam. A little bit of my motivation will be knowing that if I'm not successful, one of my generous sponsors would like his money back, plus 20% interest (I'm mostly sure he's just kidding!)" Bev is happily retired. She is an avid traveler on foot, by bike "luxury is for the old and rich and I am neither". Best hike ever was walking 600 miles across the north of Spain (el Camino) last year. Close second was biking around the seacoast of Ireland from Duplin to Sligo in the North. As a relatively new member of the Ganaraska Hike Club, she is enjoying the outings, the people, their support and the fresh air.

Bev say: "I am doing the Oxfam Trailwalker challenge because I can at my age and the more I am outside, the more my spirit grows. "Yes we can!” …Barak Obama"