THE MIGHTY KURT FEARNLEY

City Sivarai 3 December 2009 Grace Maribu

This is a story of Kurt Fearnley, mighty man of no legs, a big heart and a spirit as
big as Australia, the land he comes from. He was born without a complete spinal
cord, yet became a four time marathon champion.

He had wins in Seoul, Paris, Sydney, Chicago and New York. In Papua New

Guinea, Fearnley has just finished crawling the length of the Kokoda Track.

For a full-limbed trekker who has just walked the track, it must be an arduous

task. The Maguli Range has false peaks that sap the strength of even the most

experienced trekker. For someone like Fearnley, it must have been torturous.

He was guest speaker at the PNG games. Dame Carol Kidu, Minister for the

Department for Community Development asked him to speak on behalf of

all athletes, especially disabled sportsmen and women.

He did not say much, just enough to inspire all athletes and draw a lump to the

throat or tear to the eye.

‘Over the last two weeks, I fell in love with the PNG people’, he opened and a

cheer went up.’

‘While crawling the Kokoda track with my PNG brothers next to me, I had one

of the most amazing experiences in my life. I have seen people with strength like

I had never seen before and generosity in every village I passed through, such

friendships that I will take away from here and never forget’, Fearnley said,

his voice breaking.

Over the two weeks of the PNG games, the athletes felt convinced that if Fearnley

could do the Kokoda track – crawling in rugged terrain for 14 continuous days,
through mud, insects, leeches, bugs, snakes, nettles and mountain downpours,

surely they could do the field track eventsc with ease.