The Euroa Gym taking part in 1000 km charity rowing challenge for pediatric brain cancer research

Euroa locals will come together next month to raise much-needed funds and awareness for children with brain cancer.

e Euroa Gym (TEG) team will take part in the Connor's Erg Challenge, hosted by the Robert Connor Dawes (RCD) Foundation.

e rowing challenge and foundation are champions for battling paediatric brain cancer –which kills more children than any other disease –by funding research, care and development projects, backing the science to end paediatric brain cancer and supporting patients in the meantime.

TEG owner Daniel Godsmark said they entered a team for the rst time in February last year, a er the event had typically been based in the United States.

“ e team set a new fundraising world record for Connor’s Erg, raising $45,531, while rowing 300km in a single day across three rowing machines,” he said.

“On February 18, TEG will be celebrating its rst birthday with a huge party - Connor’s Erg 2023!

“ is time the TEG team will be aiming to break their own Connor’s Erg fundraising world record, aiming to raise over $50,000 for RCD Foundation, as the team rows 1000km for the Day."

Brain cancer kills more children in Australia than any other disease, which many local Euroa residents are aware of, and have seen the tragedy personally.

Event organisers Dustin and Shannon Perry lost their daughter Chloe to brain cancer in 2017, and many locals will also know another little Euroa girl Chelsea who is currently being treated.

It’s an issue many Euroa residents care deeply about. Chelsea’s mother Tracey Johnson said they were incredibly lucky as Chelsea was in remission a er being diagnosed with malignant brain cancer in January, 2022.

Although it had not been long between Chelsea’s diagnosis and the event last year, Tracey said they were more than happy to support the event.

“We had a very successful row last year and we’re hoping to make it bigger this year.” e Connor’s Erg Challenge at e Euroa Gym will be held on February 18. ere will be a selection of live music, DJs, activities and a food and co ee van on site.

Tracey explained just how important the RCD Foundation was for their family.

“ e foundation has been imperative to my daughter’s treatment – if it wasn’t for the foundation her treatment would have been far more invasive,” she said.

Tracey said the foundation had enabled more speci ed treatments for particular brain cancers and also noted the incredible work Dustin had completed in attracting more Australian government funding for brain cancer research.

She said it was incredibly important to also continue to work on methods of early detection as Chelsea had been a healthy six-year-old before being diagnosed.

“We need to continue to support and hopefully with more research we can try and nd earlier markers of brain cancers and hopefully get to a point one day when treatment is even less invasive,” Tracey said.

How to support the team Donations can be made, and/or you can join the TEG team at: https://www.connorserg.com/fundraisers/ theeuroagym

A high level of tness is not required to participate, as rowers may swap on and o machines for a rest as o en as they like.

Everyone is welcome, and TEG needs as many team members as they can get. If you are unable to participate, people are still encouraged to attend; with live music, a DJ, kids activities, a co ee van, and much more on o er, the party atmosphere at TEG will be Rocking.

TEG are currently o ering a free four-week rowing program to prepare people for the ERG which can be accessed here.