When Prabodh Malhotra took his seat at the SCG, he could have been excused for taking his time to get up.
The retired Melbourne economist, 71, on Wednesday walked the final steps of a 1000-kilometre, 52-day trek between the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation.
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His “crazy” idea to trek between the two great cricket grounds came this time last year when he saw a group of men walk 150km between Newcastle and the SCG for the same breast cancer charity.
“I thought if they can do it and raise $1000 per kilometre, I should be able to raise the bar,” he told AAP on Wednesday.
“I thought for a day or two and then before the end of January, I’d signed up.
“My friends thought I’m crazy.”
They pointed to the paucity of footpaths and adequate road shoulders and the danger posed by trucks, buses and cars zooming by.
But Dr Malhotra was undeterred.
“If something happens in the process of doing something good for the country, I’m more than happy to go – more than happy,” he said.
With the help of friends, he set a course through Shepparton, Jindabyne, Canberra and Moss Vale, rotating through four pairs of shoes, including a now-rundown pair of Hokas.
Dr Malhotra said he was taken aback by the generosity of people along the way.
Traders and accommodation providers declined payment and often donated to the McGrath Foundation when they discovered his charitable cause.
He was joined by the Newcastle group, known as the Big Three Trek, and breast cancer nurses on his final, short stint on Wednesday.
The group was greeted on arrival by McGrath Foundation president Glenn McGrath and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.
“To walk 1000 kilometres up from the MCG at the age of 71, just proves you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it,” McGrath said.
“It’s an incredible effort.”
The Test cricket legend said funds raised by both walks and during the SCG’s Pink Test would help fund nurses for 2100 families going through breast cancer in 2023.
Meanwhile, Mr Perrottet praised the trekkers and their supporters, committing $50,000 from his Premier’s Discretionary Fund to the McGrath Foundation.
One question remains: Will Dr Malhotra trek again in 2024?
“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Donations can be made on the “Walk from MCG to SCG” page on the McGrath Foundation website.
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