DRIVING through the Australian landscape for a week in a vehicle on the verge of destruction for fun doesn't sound like everyone’s cup of tea.
For Colin Fox however, it is one of the most anticipated events of his year as he prepares to join the Shitbox Rally.
“It changed my life,” Mr Fox said.
The annual event in May raises much needed funds for the Cancer Council, with each vehicle being purchased for under $1000 and a $4000 entry fee needed to participate.
Mr Fox discovered the event through a friend’s brother and participated for the first time last year, with this rally being his third fundraising venture.
“The sheer scale of the cars on the road and that made it to the finish line last year is overwhelming,” Mr Fox said.
“Seeing them on the road at sunrise and sunset is pretty special.”
The primary element of the rally for Mr Fox is the quality of people who attend.
“You meet people who have had their lives affected by cancer in some way,” Mr Fox said.
“They become life long friends; these people are inspirational.”
By raising funds through raffles and events, Mr Fox and his partner in crime David Willcox will attempt to drive their Falcon ute from Canberra to Townsville.
Mr Fox said the rally had 17 cars enter its first year in 2010 and by 2014, 250 cars were involved, stripped back to 200 for this year’s event.
He also said to expect impressive things from their vehicle which will feature a Muppet theme.
With both drivers known to commit to theme, Mr Fox and Mr Willcox turned heads last year in their caveman and batman/robin smuggler attire at rally events.
“We can only expect the worst from 2015,” Mr Fox laughed.
With a new side mission to strip down to women’s underwear in Parliament House in Canberra to raise extra funds through an inside joke, his statement seems far too accurate.
The comradeship of the rally is strongly felt, with Mr Fox saying games introduced last year to help bond and keep attendees occupied resulted in unprecedented amounts of exercise.
The pre rally meeting began with participants told to complete 10 push ups at the mention of the word ‘mine’ over the course of the week.
“I did about 330 push ups last year, but I became damn good at getting other people,” Mr Fox said.
“You pull over and the whole team has to watch.
“Our longest drive was 750 kilometres in a day, which took 13 hours as we kept pulling over for push ups.”
The Fox Cox rally team will be hosting a fundraiser on February 7 from 5pm at the Augusta Margaret River Football Club to raise funds for their cause.
Door sales will be available on the night if numbers are not exceeded.
To donate to their team’s rally efforts visit shitboxrally2015.everydayhero.com/au/foxcox.
