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The long, long road

700 kilometres behind him, 100 to go. Joe Bridges slogs toward Melbourne, trailed by Cancer van.

Joe Bridges, "the Amazing Mister Walker," is on the last leg of his Adelaide to Melbourne marathon, the Fight Cancer walk.

Joe is due to complete the 800 km ordeal this Thursday (April 26). His co-walker, Foster Bibron will stride beside him. And Johnny Famechon, Bibron’s once gym-mate at Ambrose Palmer’s, intends to be there to greet them both.
’Bad Boy’ Leroy Brown, a future boxing champion, will travel from Narooma, NSW to welcome the Fight Cancer Walkers.
Finishing line: the Exhibition Gardens aka Carlton Gardens, opposite the Cancer Council building, corner of Rathdowne and Victoria. At noon.

Stop, you stalwarts. Kid Kalin pulled over the van, to capture KK portrait of driver Frank Rowland, Joe Bridges (centre) and Foster Bibron (right).

Joe Bridges lost his wife Julie to breast cancer; Joe himself had prostate cancer, presently in remission.

On Easter Sunday, just after his 74th birthday, Bridges began the march which has won him large support in the townships of South Australia and Victoria. Ballarat’s Mayor gave him a civic reception. Lions Clubs in several towns threw dinners in honour of the walkers.

Foster Bibron was Australian Heavyweight Champion in the early ’70s. For the cancer cause, Fos was granted three weeks off as physical trainer of Port Power (Port Adelaide), the Australian Football League club, to give Joe vital comradeship.