This Movember fundraiser is a cut above
Bradley Brown thought he’d give another type of mow a go for the Movember men’s health fundraiser – and set a world record in the process
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Growing a mo – or moustache – has become an annual fundraising tradition for many men at this time of year.
But Bradley Brown set his sights on another type of mow this Movember: pushing a lawnmower farther than anyone has ever done before in 24 hours.
As well as helping to shine a light* on men’s health and raise money for Movember, Mr Brown’s 24-hour lawnmower marathon set a new Guinness World Record.
He pushed his lawnmower 124km, beating the previous world record by 16.5km.
Mr Brown said he set a cracking pace, averaging 5.16km/h as he mowed the grass for 260 laps of the Wyndham Vale Cricket Club oval, in Melbourne’s west, battling frequent rain and a headwind*.
“There were a couple of times where I felt like a bit of a zombie,” Mr Brown said.
“But what kept me going was knowing I was doing it for a cause, being Movember, and that there are a lot of people out there who struggle.
“Yes, it was hard, but the discomfort I was going through was nothing compared to what some people are dealing with in their life.”
His world record breaking effort kicked off at 8am on Wednesday, December 16, and finished at 8am the next day, just as a rainbow appeared in the sky above.
Mr Brown has been involved in Movember for a decade and each year attempts a new feat* to raise money for the cause.
“I’m lucky enough to not have the lived experience* of health challenges, so I’m doing this work as an advocate* for men’s physical and mental health,” he said.
“I’m always looking to try something different for the cause, and I already walk everyday so I thought why not add a lawnmower to fit with the ‘mo’ theme.”
A team of supporters was there to cheer on Mr Brown as he mowed, aiming to raise $40,000 for Movember.
He trained for his world record by pushing a pram so he could “get the idea and feel of pushing something while on the move”.
But with his lawnmower weighing 20kg, he knew the challenge would be a real test.
“World records aren’t meant to be easy,” Mr Brown said.
GLOSSARY
- shine a light: a metaphor for raising awareness of something or highlighting something
- headwind: wind blowing directly into your face as you move forward
- feat: achievement requiring courage, skill or strength
- lived experience: to have personal experience of something, to have been affected personally
- advocate: person who publicly supports and promotes a cause or idea
EXTRA READING
Cricket star grows all out for charity
Teen Rapunzel chops locks for charity
Leo’s a cut above in the charity stakes
Fortnite profit to fund Ukraine aid
QUICK QUIZ
- How far did Bradley Brown push his lawnmower?
- How many laps of the oval was this?
- How much farther did he travel than the previous world record?
- What weather conditions did he have to battle?
- Which cause was he raising money for?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Mo maths
Use the information in the story and your maths problem solving skills to help you calculate the answer to these questions:
- What distance was the previous Guinness World Record for pushing a lawnmower for 24 hours?
- What is the distance around the Wyndham Vale Cricket Club oval?
- How far would Bradley Brown have pushed the mower if he’d increased his average speed by 500m per hour?
Now make up a question of your own for a classmate to answer.
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Mathematics
2. Extension
What is the distance around your school oval? Use a trundle wheel to measure or large steps to estimate. Then, figure out how many laps of your oval you would need to complete to travel 124km.
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Mathematics
VCOP ACTIVITY
Mo-tivate Bradley
Write a motivational speech that you could have given Bradley at the times he was finding his lawnmower challenge the most difficult.
Don’t forget to use facts and details from the article to help you motivate Bradley, such as what inspires him to take part in Movember each year.
Think about the descriptive words you could use in order to have the greatest impact on Bradley. This is called using emotive language.
Use your VCOP skills to re-read your speech to make sure it is clear, specific and well punctuated.
Now read your speech to a classmate and see if you can inspire them.