Corporal Luke Thompson with his wife Jen and two children after he attempted to set a Guinness World Record for the farthest lawn mower push in 24 hours. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
While Corporal Luke Thompson may not be walking away with a Guinness World Record, his relentless pursuit under the scorching sun to help grant children’s wishes is an extraordinary feat in its own right.
The father of two and passionate runner pushed a lawnmower for 24 hours, walking and running 141 kilometres, raising more than $7000 for Make-A-Wish Australia.
Corporal Thompson began his world record attempt on 30 January at 10 am at Beres Ellwood Oval, Charles Sturt University, and completed the challenge by 10 am the following day, surrounded by his family, friends, and community.
“It was so challenging out there … it was the hardest 24 hours I’ve ever put my body through,” Corporal Thompson said.
“The heat yesterday was absolutely relentless, and I underestimated it. It was, go time, from 10 am, and it got up to 35-36 degrees out there.
“By the afternoon, I was walking, and it took hours through the night to get my body recovered.”
Even though he hoped to capitalise on the night to move faster and cover more distance, he was forced to walk most of the night.
“At 4 am, I asked myself, ‘Why am I out here?’ It’s for the kids, and that’s what fueled me. Since four o’clock, I haven’t stopped,” Cpl Thompson said.
“I’ve been pushing ever since, and I’m so happy because there were so many times where I wanted to stop. I faced so many demons and kept trying to justify why I could quit.
“But if I didn’t have the team out there, I would’ve quit. They were there the whole day and kept pushing me. We kept adjusting our running and walking ratio – and we did it.”
Corporal Luke Thompson has unwavering support from his family, friends and community members during his attempt to break a world record. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
Even without claiming the 161-km world record, Cpl Thompson feels like a winner for the distance he covered and the fundraising success.
“I picked the wrong day to break the Guinness World Record, but I’ve learned a lot from this experience and how far I can push my body,” he said. “I’ll lean on these experiences and apply them to bigger events in the future.
“We wanted to raise $5000 and we’ve raised over $7000, and I am really happy with my effort, the team, and the result today,” he said.
With emotions running high, Cpl Thompson reflected on his achievement and the unwavering support from his family, friends, and community.
“I am a bit of an emotional man. I do tend to cry over the simplest things in life, and I’ve been known to cry watching children’s movies,” Cpl Thompson said.
“When I’m out doing events like this, and I see my kids, wife, and everyone rallying for me, it brings so much emotion into my body.
“The people who came out here throughout the day and night to run laps … I can’t thank everybody enough,” he said.
Cpl Thompson hopes his achievements will one day inspire and motivate his children to set and pursue their own goals.
“Everything I do in my life is to inspire my kids, and I hope one day they grow up and look back on all this, set their own goals – big or small – and have a good crack,” he said.
The physical trainer at the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Army Recruit Training Centre Kapooka, hopes to rest well in the coming days.
“It takes me a couple of days to say, ‘Never again’ to these types of events. Then within a week or two, I’ll be looking for the next big thing, so we’ll see.
“But look, I’m going to have a bit of a longer rest.”
Those still wanting to donate can do so at Luke’s Mission: Pushing Boundaries for Wishes!
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