TRAVERSE Issue 36 - June 2023 | Page 24

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who are suffering through the trauma of a life on , or near , the frontline .
Veterans , drug addicts , paramedics , all are drawn to the Frontline Safari for the adventure and yet find themselves sharing so much , opening in a cathartic experience so that others can understand and take so much more than just the desert with them . As one rider commented , “ Today it hit home as I sat amongst the dunes . Alone , vulnerable , I realised I am grateful for my issue , my problems , they have shaped who I am , and who I choose to be .”
Many have a similar experience , for the Frontline Safari very rarely goes to plan , it epitomises what real adventure is , a challenge , an experience , a life changing moment amongst one of the world ’ s toughest environments , a way to discover much about those around you , and much more about oneself .
The 2023 edition of the Frontline Safari was dedicated to :
• 593 Corporal Charles William Norton , 3rd Victorian Bushmen - 4 August 1900 , Boer War
• 2454 2nd Lieutenant John George Cosson , 48th Battalion AIF - 7 August 1916 , World War I
• 408046 Sergeant William Desmond Cheese , 460 Squadron RAAF - 20 July 1942 , World War II
• 649 Lieutenant John Fowler Wathen , 3rd Battalion RAR - 25 / 26 October 1950 , Korean War
• 218041 Private Beresford Paul Edwards , 9th Battalion RAR - 12 July 1969 , Vietnam War
• 8227988 Lieutenant Michael Kenneth Housdan , 4 RAR ( Commando )
- 27 November 2008 , Afghanistan And all those who have selflessly given for what they believe , often paying the ultimate price . Riders raised over AU $ 25,000 for Soldier On Australia , a not-forprofit organisation dedicated to helping those with a military background to live a meaningful civilian life . TRAVERSE
Read a personal account from a veteran that joined the 2023 Frontline Safari and how it has impacted him . Full feature on page 136
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