Sandakan Challenge - Ian Smith

Sandakan Challenge - Ian Smith Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Sandakan Challenge - Ian Smith, Charitable organisation, Adelaide.

The Sandakan Challenge is a 237-kilometre hike over 16 days to commemorate the lives of the 2,434 Australian and British prisoners of war who suffered at Sandakan, Ranau or on the death marches, and raise funds to help homeless veterans

To those who supported Andrew Russell Veteran Living - ARVL in 2025, including everyone who supported the Sandakan Chall...
19/12/2025

To those who supported Andrew Russell Veteran Living - ARVL in 2025, including everyone who supported the Sandakan Challenge, thanks so much! THIS is what you contributed to, you ABSOLUTE LEGENDS!

In just two weeks I will be taking on City-Bay Fun Run 2025 and have chosen to dedicate my challenge to Andrew Russell V...
09/09/2025

In just two weeks I will be taking on City-Bay Fun Run 2025 and have chosen to dedicate my challenge to Andrew Russell Veteran Living - ARVL. Thanks to the amazing support and generosity so far, I have raised $32 for a cause very close to my heart. I know I can make an even bigger impact in these final weeks, but I need your help. Please head to my online fundraising page to make a donation of whatever you can manage and share this post. Completing City-Bay Fun Run 2025 will be no easy feat, but it’s nothing compared to the work that Andrew Russell Veteran Living does day in and day out.

I'm back at it, raising funds for the veterans' homelessness service, Andrew Russell Veteran Living - ARVL. This time I'...
29/08/2025

I'm back at it, raising funds for the veterans' homelessness service, Andrew Russell Veteran Living - ARVL. This time I'm doing the City to Bay, and would love your support. A little or a lot, it all goes towards helping veterans struggling to keep a roof over their head. So dig deep! Click on the link to chip in!

16/02/2025

In absolutely awesome news, today at the Andrew Russell Veteran Living - ARVL Annual Lunch on the anniversary of Andrew’s 2002 death in Afghanistan, Minister Joe Szakacs MP announced that the state government will be matching the funds that I raised through the Challenge!

AND, a lovely couple who attended the lunch donated $500 to the Challenge as well!

Brilliant day! 👍🏻

Great to be met by Nathan and Ricky at the War Veterans’ Home at Myrtle Bank at the end of the Challenge.
12/02/2025

Great to be met by Nathan and Ricky at the War Veterans’ Home at Myrtle Bank at the end of the Challenge.

12/02/2025

Sandakan Challenge Day Sixteen - done!

Today was the last day of the Sandakan Challenge. Due to the forecast 43C day, I had to implement my hot weather plan instead of climbing Mount Osmond.

Starting from the War Veterans’ Home at Myrtle Bank, I headed up to the Anytime Fitness (Glen Osmond) gym on Portrush Rd (1.5 km) to do eight klicks on the (mostly inclined) treadmill then back to finish at the WVH. Eleven klicks and a total elevation gain of 265 metres or so.

It was great to see Nathan, Ricky and crew at the finish line.

The total is now $5,370 (thanks to Amanda, Taylor and Martine for their generous donations!). I’ll be leaving the donations page live for another week in case anyone else wishes to donate.

What an experience. 650 kilometres in training and 237 kilometres on the Challenge, 66 days on the track in total. Lots of thinking time and lots of learning about Sandakan, the death marches and Ranau.

I’ll do some more posts over the next week reflecting on the experience of the Challenge and explaining what happened to the 2,434 Australian and British prisoners of war who suffered at Sandakan, on the death marches and at Ranau.

Nearly there…
12/02/2025

Nearly there…

And that’s 9.5 k done, just a stroll down to the War Veteran's Home Myrtle Bank Inc and I’m done… 🥵
12/02/2025

And that’s 9.5 k done, just a stroll down to the War Veteran's Home Myrtle Bank Inc and I’m done… 🥵

“Virtual” Mount Osmond… 🥵
12/02/2025

“Virtual” Mount Osmond… 🥵

First five klicks done, nearly halfway.
12/02/2025

First five klicks done, nearly halfway.

Smashing out the last few klicks at Anytime Fitness
11/02/2025

Smashing out the last few klicks at Anytime Fitness

11/02/2025

On the sixteenth day of the first Death March, the first party, whose progress I’m mirroring, woke cold, wet, utterly exhausted and muddy at Muruk. On this day they climbed steadily for about five kilometres, then staggered downhill for a similar distance, before ending with a few kilometres on the flat as they approached Ranau.

Today I had intended to climb Mount Osmond early on, and finish the Challenge by walking from the Old Tollgate to the RSL Care SA War Veterans’ Home at Myrtle Bank. Unfortunately there is a total fire ban today and the temperature is expected to reach 43C, and certainly reach my hot weather plan threshold of 35C by 10:30 am. So instead I will hike 1.5 km from the War Veterans’ Home to the gym at Glen Osmond, do about eight kilometres on the treadmill, then back to the War Veterans’ Home to finish the Challenge, completing eleven kilometres to achieve the total of 237 kilometres all up across the sixteen days.

Deaths back at the camp continued, with six Australians and one British prisoner recorded dying. Three more Australians died on the march. Before I set off I paid my respects to the ten dead and recited the Ode.

Lest we forget.

Please support the Sandakan Challenge and and their goal of , by donating securely via

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Adelaide, SA
5000

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+61413909080

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