Pambula clocks up 670kms for the Gotcha4Life 24 hour row for mental health

The Gotcha4Life 24 hour row for mental health encourages groups to take part in the challenge and raise money which is then returned to that local community in the form of mental health workshops.

In partnership with Surf Life Saving NSW, local surf clubs Pambula and Tathra lined up their rowing machines to look out over the ocean and invited groups and individuals to take part.

It was the third year they had taken part for Pambula with Narooma joining in for the first time this year.

The row started Saturday morning, September 9, for 24 hours and during that time rowers at Pambula clocked up a total of 670kilometres.

Epic Fitness Studio Pambula brought in a group who rowed 84.7kilometres and on Sunday Merimbula's Seaside Health Club rowed 75kilometres.

Organiser and surf life saver at Pambula Kirsty Byrne said the last hour of the event with Seaside Health Club's owner Mark Moses was really intense as everyone tried to add kilometres.

Merimbula Water Dragons brought in almost an entire dragon boat team and took over the machines for two hours to polish off 111kilometres.

With the music pumping, shouts of encouragement and dancing from team members taking a break from rowing the event took on a party atmosphere.

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The dragon boaters were joined on the rowing machines by Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick who rowed 10kilometres in an hour and came back the next day to complete another 11kilometres alongside Seaside Health Club.

Organiser at Pambula Kirsty Byrne said she was really happy with the result.

"I've had lots a good positive feedback. We rowed more this year - 670kiliometres - that's like here to Sydney," Kirsty said.

"It's all about getting the community involved. Last year we were able to fund some mental health workshops in Lumen Christi, Bega High and then at the surf club from this event," Kirsty said.

Tathra Surf Life Saving Club racked up an impressive 947kilometres over the 24 hours with a huge performance by Al Burchall of 67kilometres doing six stints of one hour on, one hour off over 12 hours.

Tathra Public School Student George Whitton stayed the entire 24 hours and rowed at various intervals during that time.

Organiser and Tathra Surf Life Saving Club member Megan Quamby said the whole initiative was about not having to tackle mental health issues alone and that it was good to do things as a team.

She said that good physical health helped mental health.

"We had surf club members, community members and even visitors who walked off the beach to join us, including someone who was about to go for a 10kilometre run and decided to join us for a 10kilometre row instead.

Mega said they were helped by a $500 donation from Tathra Lions Club and Coles Bega, who gave bacon and eggs that was cooked for people on the beach who then donated.

The fundraising at Gotcha4Life will stay open for another week. Click here for the website and search for your local Surf Life Saving Club to donate or find out more.

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