November 08 Friday 2002
Border completes Sydney to Brisbane charity walk

BRISBANE: Former Australian cricket great Allan Border was showered with coins as he completed his 1,000-kilometre (600-mile), month-long trek up Australia's east coast here on Thursday.

The 47-year-old former Australian captain and now cricket selector walked into the Gabba ground during the tea break in the first Ashes Test against England to finish his walk to the acclaim of the 28,000 crowd.

He undertook the marathon walk to raise money for sick and troubled children.

"Walking into this place with a record crowd, Australia versus England, I mean it doesn't get better than that for me personally as a cricket fan," Border said at a press conference. 

The walk, which Border completed in just 31 days, raised about US$100,000 (US$55,000) for The Spastic Centre, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia and a kids project.

"What's touched us most is that there are so many good people out there who made donations as we walked up the coast," Border said.

"To me that makes you feel so good about the project." Border said the walk was likely to be a one off. "I'd have to think about doing it again," he said.