We are three 16 year olds, Isaac, Cole, and Tom. We all share a dream to follow in the footsteps of the Cape to Cape 2024 team and raise awareness and funds for the Child Cancer Foundation while doing it. The 2024 team raised $26k of their $50k goal so our goal is to finish the job by raising at least $24k!
Olly Dow (2024 team), who has experience in extended stints in the backcountry, was the one who came across the crazy prospect of traveling from East Cape to Cape Egmont human-powered in the first few days of 2024 from reading Ray Sailisbury's Epic: Adventures Across Aotearoa. He started exploring different route options before settling on the current plan in early February. Thomas and William joined to form the first group in early March 2024. The boys finished their 900km trip in 17 days completing the full route on schedule!
Now the baton has been passed to Isaac, Cole, and Tom as the 2026 team. They're younger and maybe even more determined!
Cancer is the second most common cause of death, after traffic accidents for children aged 1-14 year-olds. Cancer treatment most often requires intensive treatments conducted over extended periods causing considerable stress on the child and their whanau. While we can't help with all stress, we can at least help alleviate any financial stress. Many child cancer survivors will experience long-term adverse health effects as a result of their cancer and treatments. We hope our fundraising will help to improve the quality of life of those living with these effects by giving financial assistance towards support and further treatments.
On top of this, the 2024 team raised $26k out of their $50k goal. Isaac, Cole, and Tom are aiming to finish the job this year by raising at least $24k.
MOUNTAIN BIKER / TRAMPER / ROWER
Isaac is a true outdoorsman with a drive for excellence, he is a dedicated student of the Tauranga Boys College accelerate programme and as a result is pretty sharp. For years he has been a dedicated rower for his school. Again and again, showing his grit and motivation, he recently gave up rowing so that he can spend more time training gruellingly for Cape to Cape. He has spent years tramping and mountain biking around the bay of plenty. Isaac is a student at YODA, Youth Outdoor Development And Adventure, learning valuable skills like survival and navigation once he has left school, he aims to take his skills further afield. His mindset and good humour will make him quite the asset for the trip.
NZ SHOOTING REPRESENTITIVE / HUNTER / TRAMPER
Cole is someone who is great to have around, never failing to have a good time. He currently works full time on a Hamurana dairy farm, something he is very passionate about. Along with that he also represents New Zealand in clay target shooting and is a master of his craft. Cole is a student of YODA (Youth Outdoor Development and Adventure), an organisation helping kiwi kids with a passion for the outdoors upskill to have better and safer adventures. Cole is a very motivated person and is always up for a challenge which in turn makes him a valued member of the Cape To Cape 2026 team.
CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER / DIVER / EXPERIENCED OUTDOORSMAN
Tom is a motivated guy always looking for something to get out and do, never not keen for an adventure. When he was asked to be a part of the amazing team for Cape To Cape 2026 his first response without hesitation was, "hell yea!!" While he is in school at Tauranga Boys College he is a dedicated hard working year 11, but outside of school you could say he is a different person. Tom is passionate about anything outdoors, whether it be hunting, fishing, running, or tramping. Tom is a level 2 at YODA (Youth Outdoor Development and Adventure), he will allways strive to be top of his level, excelling at everything YODA throws at him. It is a true privilege to have him as a part of the Cape to Cape 2026 team.
2024 TEAM / SUPPORT CREW / MENTOR
To put it simply, Olly is great. Fueled by god knows what, he planned and put into action the entire cape to cape concept, while he was still in school! After he had finished year 13 Olly spent a year at Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth studying the Certificate of Outdoor Education Level 4. He came back with a head full of even bigger better ideas and has recently been sharing his vast sum of knowledge with us mere mortals. He has the ability plan, action, oversee and review journeys of epic proportions, and he never lets this ability rest. His experience and wealth of knowledge will make him an asset to the team and completely invaluable.