Parkinson's disease, cancer and heart surgeries might have slowed them but military veterans have not let their ailments stop them conquering another major challenge — the Great Wheelbarrow Race.
Their 10-member Dad's Army team, with an average age of 73, was among the participants in an 140-kilometre race that stopped Far North Queensland.
"I give up alcohol the fortnight beforehand — I don't know if it makes a difference or not, but I do it every year," Frank "Fossil" Thelan, the team's most senior member, said.
"I also pinch a local wheelbarrow and give that a push around the block a few times."
The 85-year-old, who said he was "up to the standard that I would expect at my age", has completed eight wheelbarrow races.
"It keeps me fit and healthy and there's a camaraderie there," Mr Thelan said.
"The best part of the race is crossing the finishing line, we cross the line three times and that's a thrill".
Unique event
The three-day challenge, which involves teams of up to 10 people pushing a wheelbarrow across the Tablelands west of Cairns, has just wrapped up for another year.
Day one is 42 kilometres from Mareeba to Dimbulah, followed by a 65-kilometre stretch between Dimbulah and Almaden and 33 kilometres from Almaden to Chillagoe on the final day.
More than $2 million has been raised for charity since the race started in 2002.
Team captain Gary Morgan, 76, said his team had raised more than $25,000 for Legacy, the RSL and the local hospital over the past nine years.
But he said there were other reasons they were at the start line year after year.
"The determination to keep fit and to stay fit and the joy of competing together and achieving a result at the end of the day is why we keep coming back," Mr Morgan said.
"We want to keep our health levels up and stay on top of it.
"We are a little bit slower, but we do get across the finish line."
He said improved fitness was the team's original motivation.
"We decided that as our ages rolled on, we had to do to something about our health and fitness, so we joined a local gym," he said.
"Twelve months later we were feeling fitter and after a few beverages someone suggested we enter the Great Wheelbarrow Race."
On their first attempt in 2013, he said they mistakenly thought walking the race would get them across the line in the required time.
"We were wrong and quickly discovered that we would have to run," Mr Morgan said.
A lesson learnt, the team trained harder in the gym and in 2014, reduced their previous time by more than three hours.
Cash for communities
Great Wheelbarrow Race chairman Locky Benstead said Dad's Army was an integral part of the event.
"They are iconic and unique, you will find no one else like them," he said.
"The race also brings much-needed funds to the small communities that are based along the route.
He said the teams had a minimum of 10 people but there were also bus drivers, team marshals, support crews and the committee.
"We expect at least 500 people to be part of the race," he said.
The Overall Winners of the 2023 Great Wheelbarrow Race was the Tunes Squad, made up of Mareeba high school students, with a record time of 06:24:41.
Dad's Army came first in the over 55s category with a total time of 15:10:28.
