Freedom
Off The Track
Trekking ex-racehorses across Australia for youth mental health awareness
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Our Mission —
To make the world
a little bit better
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The Team
Stephanie
With over 10 years of riding experience, Steph has learned from and worked for several trainers around the world. Steph now has a full time business based near Woodford QLD as a qualified riding instructor and trainer. Steph is also a youth worker and advocate for mental health. With no previous trek experience Steph wants to prove that if she can challenge herself, anyone can!
Daniel
Daniel is a tennis coach and player based in Berwick VIC. Recently, Daniel embarked on a transformative journey to Sumatra with Edgar's Mission's Trek for Kindness, where his love for trekking intertwined with his commitment to animal welfare.
During a tennis tournament on the Sunshine Coast, fate led Daniel to meet Steph. Having already planned to backpack the National Trail, he has now joined the team on foot!
The Horses
Both Steph’s horses, New Future (left) and Karmic Prodigy (right) are ex-racehorses. Future raced in Hong Kong until he came back to Australia via the International Thoroughbred Retirement Program.
Both horses have been ridden bit-less and barefoot throughout the ride.
Once the trek is completed, it will be the first time two ex-racehorses have trekked the National Trail. The horses alternate between being Steph’s riding horse and pack horse.
Your reminder to take each day one step at a time.
And that every problem
is ‘figure-outable’
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Why Mental Health Matters
Source: www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/statistics
Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15-45 with over 3000 Aussies taking their own life each year.
Over 75% of mental health problems occur before the age of 25, with 50% occurring before the age of 14.
42.9% of Australians experience a mental health disorder in their lives. This equates to 8.5 million people.
3/4 of Australian suicides are from men yet they are 30% less likely than women to
seek help.
The Route
Our ride follows the National Trail, previously called the Bicentennial National Trail, and National Horse Trail. The Trail is designed for hikers, cyclists and horse riders and follows the eastern side of Australia, beginning in Cooktown North QLD and ending in Healesville VIC.
Covering a total of 5330km, it is the longest self contained trail in the southern hemisphere, and one of the longest in the world. This means that with enough planning it is possible to complete the trail without external support. The NT is split into twelve 200-600km sections that link together and form the trail.
The trail was established in 1972 by a committee, chaired by the legend, RM Williams. He sponsored a stockman, Danny Seymour, to find a route along the length of Australia. Seymour spent 18 months mapping the trail, which has evolved and grown into what it is today.
For those interested in completing this trek (or short sections) become a member of the National Trail and then you have access to download the section maps in either GPS or paper format. The NT also provides maps for shorter weekend sections for those not wanting to do the full trek. The trail is run by volunteers and all membership funds help to maintain the trail.
We hope to encourage others to get out on the trail, and experience what might be Australia’s best kept secret!
Timeline
Cooktown - Ravenswood QLD
August 1st 2023
Trek Paused
Sep 2023 - April 2024
Ravenswood QLD
April 26th 2024
Biggenden QLD
Mid June 2024
Blackbutt QLD
August 17th 2024
Killarney QLD
September 5th 2024
Ebor NSW
September 25th 2024
Aberdeen NSW
Late October 2024
Wallerawang NSW
Mid November 2024
Canberra ACT
Late Nov / Early Dec 2024
Tom Groggin VIC
December 2024
Healesville VIC
Mid January 2025
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Get Involved
We hope to raise awareness about the importance of mental health with the communities we pass through, and also encourage other adventurers to get out on the trail! No prior skills are required, just a can-do attitude and a half decent tolerance to the outdoors.
How to help:
Host an event - To raise awareness for youth mental health
Join Us - On foot/own horse for a kilometre, day, week or more!
Sponsorship - For groups/businesses looking to support trek gear
For those seriously interested: please contact Steph on our socials at the top of the page.
HOST AN EVENT
JOIN US
SPONSORSHIP