Werribee’s Jodie Nash was about to set off on the Shitbox Rally cancer fundraiser through outback Australia, when she suddenly became in need of some fundraising herself.
“I got scammed with the car,” said Jodie, who after buying her ‘shitbox’, a 1998 Ford Falcon, sent it off to a mechanic to be roadworthy as per rally regulations.
“Our mechanic scammed us a $1000.”
Fortunately local sponsors came to the rescue and Jodie and Gavin set off on June 14 for the 10-day from Melbourne to Alice Springs via New South Wales and Queensland.
A typical day on the road for Jodie and Gavin involved traveling 250 to 300 kilometres, mostly off the beaten track, with organisers providing road signs and daily route updates to prevent them getting lost.
It would’ve been challenging enough in a new car, but in a so-called ‘shitbox’ breakdowns were a constant risk.
Jodie said they came through relatively unscathed.
“We an oil leak, damage to our exhaust and issues with overheating, but we were one of the lucky ones.”
The fact Jodie did much of the driving probably had something to do with this, with the Ford Falcon more important to to her than being just a shitbox.
“I sold my everyday car to be able to buy my shitbox and my shitbox will now be my everyday car,” she said.
The pair returned to Werribee on June 24, having raised $5200 for cancer research, a cause close to Jodie’s heart.
“My grandmother died of cancer and my mother has renal cancer,” she said.
“I shaved my head 10 years ago and this seemed like the next step for me. It’s a bigger fundraiser”
To donate : www.shitboxrally.com.au/teams/
Cade Lucas
Cade Lucas
