Details

Event: Eureka Tower Charity Challenge
Organisers: King Performance Marketing and Events

Date: Friday 24 October 2008
Location: Eureka Tower, South Bank, Melbourne
Website: http://www.eurekatowerchallenge.com.au/

EUREKA TOWER CHARITY CHALLENGE

The Eureka Tower Charity Challenge is a unique fundraising all day event whereby corporate teams walk or run up the stairs of the world’s tallest residential tower and raise money for disadvantaged young people both at home and abroad through the charity groups: Whitelion and Interplast Australia and New Zealand.

The challenge is for corporate teams to participate in a relay style event. In pairs, team members take turns climbing the 1,958 steps to level 89. When your team members reach the top the next pair from the team is ready to start. This is an event for people of all ages and levels of fitness, you can choose to walk, run, climb or crawl your way to the top.

Tomi has signed himself and 9 other clients - including me - representing his home country, Team Finland, to climb Mount Eureka. The personal training sessions during the week have been targeted towards this event, and Tomi has planned some crazy w/e training - EEEEP!

Stair Training - La Trobe St, Melbourne

11 October 2008

Deborah from Team Finland’s apartment block has 25 Levels. About a quarter of the way to Mount Eureka. This was intense - and a good reminder not to drink and party the day before the event!

1000 Steps - Mount Dandenong

18 October 2008

This isn’t like what it sounds - it’s much much worse. Tomi organised a day trip to Mt Dandenong, a few K’s outside of Melbourne City. First was the trek from the carpark to 1000 steps. 1000 steps isn’t your typical stairwell, with nice even steps. Far from it actually. There were little steps, jumbled steps and towards the top - monster steps. The part that made me weak at the knees was when Tomi announced we’re doing it 3 times.

The first lap was the hardest - you didn’t know what to expect and your engine was still cold. The second lap was just as painful, but the third one - you just go nutty and you just want it done and over with. The third lap was a pure endorphin rush. I could have done a forth lap - but ofcourse I would die.

It was an unreal experience - even better as no one in the team is from Melbourne. Thank you Tomi! We’ll have to have more in the future.

(Photos courtesy of Tomi Kokko)

When I moved to Melbourne to work for White, I had never anticipated the pace of life as it turned out.

8 April 2008 - I farewelled my parents, and headed to the gate. On the plane I met Rachel, cool chick, that went to high school with Mitch from Cru. The next day, we ended up at South Melb beach to give in to our drinking habits. I learnt the sun and scotch don’t go well together.

That week, I settled in, in Melbourne. The week after, I was shipped to Sydney to get settled in with the creatives in the head office. I was pretty impressed with living in 3 different cities in 3 weeks.

After that little adventure, I started settling into Melbourne. Joined the gym, and started training with Tomi. Met my bar-hopping drinking partner in crime, through Dave and Claire. Melbourne’s such a fun and happening city … although I can’t wait for it to get warmer.

On the work front, I got to work on projects for carsales.com.au, Diet Coke and Coke Zero. It was 3 months since I touched down in Melbourne and I started to settle in, and get comfortable. Then, BANG, jet boosters fired up, and I found myself living in Sydney working on Mount Franklin’s latest mega-campaign: The Well of Positivity.

First weekend, I checked out Sydney, got settled in.

Second weekend, Friday night, I headed out to Liverpool, to catch up with my parents, who were down from Brisbane for a wedding. Saturday, I jumped back on the plane to Melbourne. Zeyn and Dave flew down from Bris, and Sunday morning, we were off at 4am to Mt Buller. After a few bumps and bruises, I learnt how to snowboard, kind of. It was nothing as painful as Monday night though. We decided to head to the pub and started off with Jager Bombs. Never good! It always lets the devil inside out. After scotches, vodkas, beer and wine (stupid Zeyn), I was once again vomitting in the bathroom of a hotel room.

Third weekend, I was up in Brisbane, to suprise my Cru successor, Matt’s, 30th birthday. After that, I headed to Amrita’s graduation party and then shortly after, I went to the boys house party. On the Sunday I was on a flight back to Sydney.

I was doing some seriously late nights, but I don’t mind if it’s going to make a dint in the digital and interactive industry.

Forth weekend, I was out on Friday night, for Groges, my current creative director’s 31st. Saturday, I headed back up to Brisbane for Ben, from Cru’s, 30th masquarade party. Soo good catching up with everyone. It felt like nothing had changed. Later that night, I headed to Brayden’s going away party. I got home at 4am, and then I was back on the plane - this time for Melbourne.

I was finally back in town but the work front hadn’t changed much. I was at work till 10 - 11 every night, then 1am on the Saturday. That weekend was a write-off to work, but Mt Franklin was finally finished, to a standard I was happy with.

I’m on my way to Brisbane again this weekend, and hopefully it gets calm before the next storm hits.