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Standing on the exact spot where the blood of Australian and New Zealand troops turned the sands red at dawn on April 25, 1915 will be an emotional experience for Russell Bartlett.
Mr Bartlett is one of 11 Mollymook Surf Club members bound for Gallipoli where he will take part in a memorial Anzac surf boat race and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice 100 years ago.
His great grand father, Alfred Bartlett, fought in France during World War I and, although he did not serve in Turkey, he will be in the Mollymook Surf Club member’s thoughts as he stands on the shores of Anzac Cove next week.
Mr Bartlett has been a member of the surf club for 35 years and has always wanted to visit Anzac Cove.
When the opportunity came up to combine his passion for rowing with his desire to visit Turkey, he jumped at the chance.
“I knew this was for me,” he said.
“I’m really excited to be taking part in the surf boat race, but I’m also looking forward to visiting the memorials around Anzac Cove and standing on the beach where so many men lost their lives.
“I hope I’ll have a chance to stand there and think about the blokes jumping out of their boats and running up onto the beach - to try to imagine what they must have been thinking.
“I think I’m certainly going to feel the emotion of the place.
“The connection with Gallipoli itself is something very special.”
Mr Bartlett said the two-day boat race was an opportunity for the Mollymook rowers to represent the local district and all Australians during the Anzac Centenary.
“What we are doing is insignificant compared to what those blokes did, but I think it something very special,” he added.
He said he was also looking forward to taking part in Turkish Children’s Day events during the week, where members would show school students their boat and hand out small Australian souvenirs.
The rowers have been training for the event for more than six months, but Mr Bartlett said he had been training for something like this for his whole life.