![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Bonnie-Hancock-2-225x300.jpeg?_t=1642559970\")
Torquay SLSC praised Hancock for what she was trying to achieve and were honoured to paddle next to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat Bonnie has set out to achieve in \u2018The Paddle of Aus\u2019 and the fundraising partner she has selected shows drive and commitment as well as compassion that few of us could dream of achieving,\u201d Torquay SLSC club captain Julian Sweeney said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTim [Altman] has an established relationship and shared passion with Bonnie and her husband Matt, so he was honoured to be able to paddle out from the club to show his support.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next challenge for Hancock will be navigating the Great Australian Bight along the southern side of the country, a stretch expected to offer some of the roughest conditions of her trip.<\/p>\n
In addition to Hancock\u2019s efforts, the paddler has also established a fundraising link to raise awareness for mental health charity Gotcha4Life, who work to help people improve their mental fitness as they focus on the creation of meaningful connections within communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of their main focuses is preventing people from getting to crisis point as often once this point is reached there can be no going back,\u201d Hancock said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a message that I strongly believe in, and I feel that a person is only as strong as their support network, Gotcha4Life works to help facilitate these connections and social interactions which is part of what makes their cause so important.\u201d<\/p>\n
To make a donation, head to gotcha4life-fundraising.raisely.com\/bonniehancock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A 16,000-KILOMETRE journey named \u2018The Paddle of Aus\u2019 around the coastline of the Australian mainland passed through the Surf Coast at the weekend. Athlete Bonnie Hancock started her Sunday stretch from Point Lonsdale at 9.30am with a community paddle with about 15 people joining her on the Torquay leg of the paddle. Hancock left her […]<\/p>\n