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The sore muscles, the hours spent on a rowing machine and seemingly endless kilometres paddled in a surf boat will all be worthwhile when Di L’Estrange takes part in the Gallipoli 100 surfboat challenge in Turkey this month.
Di is one of 11 Mollymook Surf Club members that will compete in the a two-day event against teams from New Zealand and Turkey, before five members are chosen take part a re-enactment of the landing at Gallipoli as part of the Anzac Centenary commemorations in Turkey.
Although she doesn’t have any relatives who fought in World War I, Di said she was looking forward to the experience.
“The Anzac spirit is something that resonates deeply with us all,” she said.
“It perhaps wasn't until a group of us from Mollymook Surf Club went to the newly opened WWI exhibit at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra a few weeks ago that the true extent of the sacrifice that those soldiers made really hit home.”
Di told the Times as soon as she heard about the Gallipoli 100 event, she knew she “had to be part of it”.
“The rowing was a bonus,” she said.
“A chance to participate with teams from all over Australia, New Zealand and Europe, as well as honour our WWI soldiers, couldn't be passed up.”
She said in a boat in the Canberra exhibit, complete with bullet holes, that was used to row soldiers ashore, was a model for surf boats used in Australia today.
“That’s a really powerful connection and has made me think about rowing a surf boat in a completely different way,” she said.
The group has been training for months in the lead up to Anzac Day and Di said the hard work was now a “distant memory”.
“Everyone in the crew is prepared and proud to be ambassadors for Mollymook, the Shoalhaven and Australia.”
The crew is grateful to major sponsors Shoalhaven City Council, Dominos Pizza Australia, CGU Insurance, Sportscene Ulladulla and Skins as well as the many individuals and organisations who chipped in to assist with the purchase of the boat, oars and other gear needed to participate in the cold waters off Turkey.
“Many thanks also to Craig Saunders who has worked tirelessly to ensure we will look the part, Sam Crockett and the Mollymook Surf Club members for organising our sponsors day and everyone who has offered us words of encouragement or asked us about the tour,” she said.
“We hope to be able to send lots of pictures and stories back while we are away and to return with tales that we can repeat over and over again to our families and friends for years.”
Fellow rower John Patterson said heightened security meant boat crews were not permitted to enter Anzac Cove, however the five selected Mollymook members would be part of a re-enactment on the nearby Gallipoli Peninsula during the official remembrance service.
“We are very excited to have been invited to take part in the re-enactment and we’ll be drawing straws to see who rows into Gelibolu - Turkish for Gallipoli,” Mr Patterson said.
“Australia will have six boats in the re-enactment and Mollymook will be one of them.”