August 15, 2017

Team UOW makes every step count

Staff and students take part in 21st City2Surf. 

More than 200 UOW staff, students, alumni and community members joined the throng of 80,000 people, taking on the 14km route from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach last weekend as part of the 2017 City2Surf.

Team UOW, comprising staff and students from across the University, travelled up to the event last Sunday (13 August) following months of gruelling lunchtime training sessions on the UOW ovals.

Dr John Montagner from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences has been involved in the event for more than 20 years, organising the first UOW team 21 years ago.

“The first year we only had one bus going up to the event, and with the support of each Vice-Chancellor we’ve grown to having hundreds of staff and students involved,” he said.

“It’s more than just one event, over the years we’ve had people try it and then continue exercising so it has been a good change in lifestyle.”

Dr Montagner’s favourite part of the event is the nightmare of others.

“I really enjoy going up Heartbreak Hill,” he laughed.

“You get a good chance to look back at the course and over the water, it’s definitely one of my highlights.”

Team UOW has been making every step count, raising money for students in need through Learning and Development Scholarships.

The UOW Learning and Development Scholarship Fund has been running for 10 years and has provided more than 110 scholarships for UOW students supported by alumni, staff and members of the community.