By Victoria Stone-Meadows
An intrepid woman from Endeavour Hills has taken on a 30 kilometre track along the Mornington coastline to raise money for the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Esther Van Houten is one of about 2000 women participating in the second annual Wild Women on Top Melbourne Coastrek.
Before signing up for the trek, Ms Van Houten had been walking with her daughter Rebecca and helping her lose weight while losing weight herself.
“I have been grossly overweight for most of my adult life and I have done some incredible things to try and lose it, but it’s never happened,” she said.
“When I saw my daughter starting to lose weight I decided to get on board and support her by walking alongside her.”
Over 18 months Esther and Rebecca have lost 72 kilograms between them.
“What better way is there to prove to myself that I am a new person capable of doing things that normal people are capable of than doing Melbourne Coastrek?” Ms Van Houten said.
“And what better cause is there than The Fred Hollows Foundation,” she said.
Before signing up for the event, Ms Van Houten said she hadn’t had much of a connection with the Fred Hollows Foundation but believes it is a worthy charity to support.
“We were in NSW and visited Fred Hollows’ resting place, a beautiful grave with a huge rock that’s been carved with his name,” she said.
“We also know the work he did and difference he made at such a small cost; $25 can have someone seeing again.”
Ms Van Houten had raised more than $1000 for the foundation before the trek and showed no signs of slowing down before the big event.
