Embracing Dry July and Push-Up Challenge

Getting behind good causes

Winter in Antarctica presents a number of challenges; blizzards, weeks of darkness, isolation, extreme temperatures and of course honouring Chef Nick’s well-earned days off by fending for ourselves between the “Catch n’ Kill” fridge on Sundays and team-mates taking turns cooking on Mondays.

While we anticipate the return of the sun in a week or so, the month of July throws another two challenging and stimulating activities into the mix: Dry July, raising money for cancer research and the Push-Up Challenge, raising money for mental health (Headspace).

Dry July may sound like we are avoiding the showers, which I’m sure would delight the plumbers team while they preserve our precious water resource, however it’s a little more hygienic than that. Dry July challenges you to go alcohol-free for the month of July while raising funds to support people affected by cancer when they need it most.

Funds raised as part of Dry July provide invaluable services to cancer patients, their families and carers — whether it’s a lift to a life-saving appointment, guidance from a specialist nurse, connection to an informative voice, access to therapy programs or a bed close to treatment.

Davis station’s Dry July team ‘Dry Ice’ has a little twist where a brave few have chosen to go alcohol AND sugar free! Yep, you heard right…the dessert deviants have gone cold turkey, hero to zero, zinging to zonked! We have counselors on stand-by.

The first test of many was this week’s tempting Tuesday — celebrating Paul’s birthday with a supremo premium Collingwood chocolate cake (Happy Birthday, mate!). Credit and kudos to the team’s staying power, remaining strong to the cause in the face of extreme adversity.

You can support team Dry Ice with sober and savoury donations however big or small by googling ‘Donate Dry July’ and enter the team name in the field provided.

The Push-Up Challenge on behalf of Headspace pushes off on the 8th of July. Davis Station’s very own team ‘Tide Crack Pushers’ will be set a target number of push-ups to complete each day. The push-up target changes daily, reflecting different statistics to do with mental health in Australia. For example, 45 push-ups will recognise the percentage of Australians who will experience a mental health condition over their lifetime.

Over the course of 21 days the Tide Crack Pushers will attempt to accumulate a minimum of 3128 push-ups. Sadly that number is not chosen at random but represents lives lost in Australia due to mental health issues in 2017.

While the Tide Crack Pushers are doing the hard yards and building biceps Popeye would wish for, all you need to do is google ‘Donate to Headspace Push-up Challenge’, enter the team name in the field provided and make our heavy lifting feel a little lighter for the sake of a good cause.

While there’s no denying the altruism behind our participation in these worthy challenges, there remains a small self-serving component as we purify our minds and bodies in preparation for the impending pressure cooker that is the annual Inter-Station Darts Competition. Furious banter, friendly rivalries and dad jokes as far as the eye can see. 

 Kieran (full-time Boilermaker Welder and part-time Darts Prodigy)

on