When you work for Wild Women On Top and run Coastrek, one of the most common questions you get is: Are you walking the 60km? Lol. No. We won't be walking baby, we be WORKING. 

Putting on an event like Coastrek requires huge amounts of woman-power, both in the lead-up and on Event Day, and our HQ team are working hard from dawn until midnight (with appropriate breaks because #wellbeing) to make sure every Coastrekker has an epic experience. 

Our Marketing Director Sasha has shared some great (hilarious) wisdom for our Event newbies this week, and it's too good not to share with you! 

What Happens On Event Day (For The Wild Women Team) 

Morning

• Early panic wake up around 4am whether on shift or not...
• Dress. Attempt something with hair. Fail. F**k it - leave. Grab bag by the door + hi-vis staff vest, clipboard, docs, pen etc & go. Packed the night before. Obvs. Clipboard will be on-brand purple.
• Extravert self will be in warm up mode until kicks in around lunchtime. Playlist in car to rev up en route essential. Warm up vocal cords for full day of WOOHOO-ing.
• Daggy, self-conscious, absolutely-should-never-be-seen-in-public dancing at start line. 60km preferred as it's dark and no one remembers, teams are keen to get walking! Skulk in background.
• Hand out cowbells, check signage, rearrange things, snip the ends of 800 cable ties. 
• Snacks/breaks/drinks!! Deodorant! Change shirt! Coffees x billion. Switch to tea, too much coffee! Too many exclamation marks!! Bottomless bumbag with treats, blister kit, hand sanitiser and more.
• Annoy team with mother-henning. 
• Go to Woolies to grab 200L of milk for the finish line. Load it into 2 trolleys and avoid awkward looks from passerbys. 

Afternoon

• Hit stride, hit wall, refuel/change shirt, hair attempt #2.
• Try not to look at face in porterloo mirror - you won't be impressed. Purple glitter will help. Or so you think.
• Get halfway through eating something before someone comes and asks why the power isn't working/where's the cordial/what's the photographer's phone number????
• Forget about lunch. 
• Remember lunch. Enjoy remaining cold paella. 
• Re-hit stride for the FINISH LINE BABYEEEEEEEEE. 
• Vibes & fun.
• Cheer head off.
• Hide in the Staff tent for 10 minutes to drink a cup of tea and get off feet.
• Mild annoyance as someone finds you in your tent/hiding spot to tell you we're running out of ice. 
• Leg it to the nearest servo and clean them out of ice. 
• Cheer head off, again. 
• Reign in late-night, mild-onset hysteria.
• Cheer last heroic trekkers over the finish line. 
• Pack down. Drive home.
• Zombie shower. 
• Bed.

Seriously though, I absolutely freaking LOVE Coastrek Event Days. After months of work and planning and supporting our amazing trekkers through their preparation, training, fundraising, sharing stories and our experiences as a community - sometimes very personal and moving ones - Event Day is when we cut loose and our community gathers, together with the Beyond Blue team, our partners and awesome volunteers and make it a EPIC celebration of all that sweat, tears and effort.

There is nothing quite like it (speaking as both a past trekker AND member of the Wild Women team!).