When a group of men in a small country town are known as the “Bash-up Boys”, it can evoke images of violence and toughness. However, only one of those words can be used here to describe these four men: Toughness. For the past 6 years, the Bash-up Boys have met each week in a personal and group challenge to push their bodies to levels beyond what was previously thought possible.
The tight knit group of Glen Howe, Adam Wade, Scott Chesworth and Danny Flanery have plenty of fun when they do it too. The constant ribbing and joking between them is a mainstay of their attitude, and whilst they take their fitness very seriously, the friendship that has developed from training together at such a high level for such a long time is easily evident.
“We were all down at touch football one day about 6 years ago,” said Glen Howe, “When Scott suggested that we should do an extra day of fitness each week to be fitter for touch football. The four of us agreed but it took another 3 months before I asked, ‘when are we actually going to start training?’ Not long after, we started and we haven’t stopped for over 6 years.”
Glen said that a lot of blokes have come and gone over that time, with some lasting one session and others lasting a few years. The group welcomes anyone to come along and have a go. During the winter months, the group trains at McLean Oval, and they currently train at 6:30pm every Tuesday at Roberts Park.
The Bash-up Boys have done some crazy things. They have pushed a van from Roberts Park, up the Back Demondrille Road to the top of Demondrille Hill. They have flipped a tractor tyre for 6km, with members of the group taking turns to carry a 20kg drum over their shoulder to make it that little bit more ‘fun’. They have even trekked from Harden to Jugiong, crossing the Murrumbidgee five times, just for something to do. They nearly lost the town doctor during a paddle down the flood-swollen Murrumbidgee River.
Fighting Brain Cancer
This Sunday the 30th of November, the boys will be doing a 2km relay of burpees to raise money for Brain Cancer research. An initiative of Scott Chesworth, whose good mate and business partner Greg Whitehead succumbed to the disease, the boys will be straining in front of family and friends at Mount Stromlo in Canberra. The family of Craig Coggan, another good mate recently diagnosed with Brain Cancer, will also be there to support their efforts.
The boys will be taking two buses down to Canberra, and they wish to thank Peter Joseph for his support in supplying a bus and fuel free of charge.
If you would like to donate to their worthy cause, donations can be made through their Walk4BrainCancer website: www.curebraincancer.org.au/my-fundraising/7905/team-hardenjugiong. Their donation page has reached $3345 in just 7 days.
On average, 1600 people are diagnosed with Brain Cancer each year. This equates to roughly one person being diagnosed with the cancer every five hours. Unfortunately, survival rates for those diagnosed with the cancer have barely increased in the last thirty years, despite the mortality rate of other cancers declining significantly.
Symptoms can include: headaches; seizures; sensory and movement control loss; Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT); hearing loss; vision loss; fatigue; depression; behavioural and cognitive changes. For more information, go to www.curebraincancer.org.au or consult with a doctor.
Pictured at Newson Park on Tuesday are ‘Bash up Boys’, back: Scott Chesworth and Glen Howe. Front: Danny Flanery and Adam Wade.
