Community
7 April, 2025
Time to master the arrows
THE popular BDO Arrow Experience has officially become part of the Great Barrier Reef Masters Games program, joining two well-loved community events and adding a competitive element to the trail.
A partnership between Cairns Regional Council and the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation has brought together two of Cairns’ most popular sporting events the BDO Arrow Experience and the Great Barrier Reef Masters Games to test participants’ endurance while they enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mt Whitfield Conservation Park.
The BDO Arrow Experience – hosted by the foundation – is now on its fifth year and, as part of the program of the GBR Masters Games coming from May 29 to June 1, will give a competitive edge to the Arrow Experience while also supporting the foundation’s fundraiser for the surgical robot DaNi.
“We’re here to launch the BDO Arrow Experience. It started in 2018 and every single year it expands and grows. And this year, we're excited to add in a partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Masters Games,” said the Foundation’s chief executive Gina Hogan.
“This means more for our participants, if you want to just do a casual walk up the yellow (arrow) and down the red, or if you want to extend yourself a little bit more and do all the arrows, or for those more competitive now you join as part of the GBR Masters Games, which is excellent.
“This year we're aiming to, hopefully, raise about $80,000 for the surgical robot. Now that's a wonderful piece of equipment. It's $4.3 million we’re at about $2.6 million so that $80,000 will go towards that campaign.”
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said this was a great addition to the GBR Masters Games and another move towards becoming the capital of female sports in Australia.
“We’re nearly 60 days out from the Masters Games, last time we had about 4000 to 4500 competitors so this will be a great addition,” she said.
“When people come to visit Cairns I always say, “Have you done the arrows?” because you haven’t experienced Cairns unless you’ve done the arrows, and it’s fantastic that it’s going to be a fundraiser and to have those partnerships in place.”
You can register for the Arrow Experience Trail Run and Walk as competitive or non- competitive.
Learn more and register at https://bit.ly/4iKyOBu or https://bit.ly/4iMRi4j
