As two busy veterinarians, Rob and his mate Adam, don’t always know what the months ahead will look like, but for the past four years they’ve managed to fit in an epic four rounds of golf to support people with cancer through The Longest Day golf challenge.
“Obviously it’s a great cause, but the challenge side of it was probably the first instigator for doing it,” says Rob. “Just to see if we physically could – we’re not as young as we used to be.”
Like so many others who take to the fairway for The Longest Day, Rob and Adam know too many people who have been impacted by cancer.
“To say we have close connections with people that have been through it is a bit of an understatement. Just last week I was at a funeral for my 39-year-old cousin who passed away from bowel cancer.” says Rob.
In their very first year, the pair pushed the fundraising hard through social media.
“I think between the two of us we raised somewhere around $5000 – just through friends and family alone,” he says.
And as if 72 holes isn’t challenging enough, Rob and Adam played them at Jerilderie Golf Club in southern New South Wales – Adam’s hometown – in temperatures in the low 30s.*
“The club was fantastic at welcoming us, looking after us and encouraging members to let us play through so we could keep moving. You can't do it if you're going to get stuck behind groups all day. Every time we've done it, we've started at the crack of dawn and it’s getting pretty close to dusk when we're finishing,” said Rob.
From $50 notes thrust into their hands while they play, to a golf-buggy escort during the final round, there’s no shortage of support from the club and fellow golfers.
It’s an atmosphere like no other, and even though it’s epic and exhausting, Rob and Adam return year-on-year to raise awareness and funds for cancer research and support services.
Rob’s top tips for anyone taking on the challenge is to:
- Stay hydrated
- Cover up and reapply your sunscreen frequently
- Bring changes of clothes – especially socks
- Forget about the golf shoes – wear your most comfortable runners!
- Keep it light-hearted
And are they back for another four rounds this year?
“We haven’t ruled it out yet,” says Rob. “Adam’s been busy, but we’ll probably make a late run towards it.”
* With skin cancer being a common cancer among golfers, being SunSmart is especially important for anyone participating in The Longest Day. That means using all five forms of sun protection – slip, slop, slap, seek slide.