When Dr Prabodh Malhotra decided to take on this heroic – now labelled ‘crazy’ trek from MCG to SCG walk, to raise funds, he said one source of his inspiration was French author Stephen Grellet. Dr Malhotra quote Stephen Grellet saying, “I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow-creature, let me do it NOW, let me not defer or neglect it.”
“As a 70-year-old retiree, this may be my last chance to make a small contribution for a good cause”, Dr Malhotra had said.
As I wrote back in October 2022, let us hope this is the beginning of a long list of good things to come from Dr Malhotra. He has just completed this first one – of walking from MCG to SCG raising funds for the McGrath Foundation.
He completed the final steps of his 1000-kilometre walk on Wednesday, January 4, to coincide with the Sydney Test as planned and was joined by the Newcastle group, known as the Big Three Trek, who had also come the day before, the rest day for Dr Malhotra.
“The Walk to the Entertainment Quarter yesterday Monday 2 January 2023 brought us within a kilometre of the SCG, our final destination after a walk of about 1,100 Kms. On Wednesday morning 4 January, the opening day of the Pink Test between Australia and South Africa, we will walk the remaining distance to the SCG, alongside the team of champions who had walked 150 Kms over the last three days from Newcastle to the SCG, also to support the McGrath Foundation…”, Dr Malhotra wrote on his blog where he has given his daily account of the walk.
The group were greeted by Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath, president of the McGrath Foundation president and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.
Also read: MCG to SCG Walk to Raise funds for Breast Cancer Nurses for McGrath Foundation
“To walk 1000 kilometres up from the MCG at the age of 71 just proves you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it,” Glen McGrath has been quoted saying by the SMH.
“It’s an incredible effort.”
BT understands funds raised by Dr Malhotra and the BIG Three combined with funds raised during the SCG’s pink Test would help fund nurses for 2100 families going through breast cancer in 2023.
NSW Premier Domini Perrottet also praised the trekkers and their supporters, committing $50,000 from his Premier’s Discretionary Fund to the McGrath Foundation.
Dr Malhotra has raised just over $60,800 at the time of publication of this story. You can still donate by clicking here.
-with reports and inputs by RD