Background to Klocking up the K's

During 2008 Dr June Canavan had the privilege of caring for Margery MacKenzie, a remarkable woman from Augathella in outback Australia, during her silent and courageous battle with bowel cancer. June met many of Margery’s interesting friends when she visited her at home. At the party that followed Margery’s death June learned about another remarkable country woman from the next generation, Gemma Rice, who lived on a property at Guyra near Armidale in NSW.

June was in the early stages of planning to climb Mt Kilimanjaro when she spoke to Ida Montague, one of Margery’s friends, and heard about Gemma’s gift to poor Tanzanian village children: a gift to fight poverty through education. Gemma was previously teaching for the Sacred Heart order in Uganda when she met her now husband Richard who lived in Arusha. As a wedding gift Gemma was given some land by her father-in-law and she set about building a school. Gemma launched The School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania in 2002 with 3 students, one teacher and a lot of support from her family and friends. Each year the school has grown with thousands of students wanting to gain a place and sitting a rigorous testing process to ensure the most worthy applicants are successful. The school now offers free, quality education to over 1150 students from primary to secondary school: students selected for intelligence and poverty level. The number is limited only by funding.

All students receive a free education provided by donations from “sponsors”: it covers tuition, textbooks, uniforms, transport, excursions, stationery and meals. In addition the school employs over 250 local staff – teachers, cleaners, cooks, builders, mechanics, drivers, clerical staff, guards and outdoor maintenance workers thus supporting the local community.

This school started with a $10 donation from Australia and then Rotary organized many fundraising projects. Now St Jude’s is a non-profit organization and an Australian registered charity making all donations tax-deductible.

June has set a goal to climb Kilimanjaro this year. To prepare her for this challenge she will klock up some ks: her first climb is Kiel Mountain on the Sunshine Coast to launch the project, then Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia, Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Malaysia, Kokoda Trail for endurance, and finally Kilimanjaro the highest mountain in Africa.

To mark this accomplishment June would like to donate one dollar per foot that she climbs on her way to the School of St Jude: reaching the summits of these five Ks would mean she could give a total of $47560 to assist the education of poor village children in Tanzania.

June has already received support for her project before she has started climbing. Local Sunshine Coast artist, Mandy Shadforth, offered to depict June’s journey and the original painting will be offered as a prize for one lucky donor. Each $10 donation will provide one ticket in the prize draw.

June herself has experienced adversity. She was a champion sports girl at school and played competitive sport all her life. She represented country Victoria in netball and later became a Queensland representative player. She captained the Australian University Netball team and earned a Full Blue at the University of Queensland. June played A grade squash for nearly 30 years before rupturing her Achilles tendon during a match in 2005.

June was mountaineering in Patagonia in 2004 when she experienced some symptoms that led to the discovery of a congenital heart condition requiring open heart surgery. June accepted the challenge to regain her fitness by training for surf life saving and was rewarded with her Bronze medallion less than 9 months later.

As a sports physician June has made a difference to the lives of many young sports enthusiasts. She also willingly mentors school and university students who have an interest in sports medicine at the Sunshine Coast Sports Medicine Clinic. June was fortunate to meet Kate Gazzard in 2008 - a dynamic and adventurous medical student with a similar passion for sports medicine. Kate has excelled at many sports, worked as a travel guide and has just climbed Aconcagua in South America. Some of June’s favourite travel memories are also from South America where she cycled and climbed in Patagonia with her friend Anne.

June wants to continue making a difference to young lives and you can help by sponsoring her in the quest to Klock up the five Ks this year. Donations are tax-deductible and all money will be donated to the School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania to “Fight Poverty through Education”