His training and preparation has been minimal but Port Fairy’s Dustin Neate is up for a challenge to paddle 10 kilometres from Brighton Beach to Port Melbourne on Saturday.
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Mr Neate only entered the Paddle Across the Bay stand up paddle (SUP) board event on Australia Day and his first training session was on Tuesday.
It will be the longest distance he has ever paddled, but he said the Cancer Council fundraising event in Port Phillip Bay would help others.
![Quest: Dustin Neate is one of 200 people registered to participate in Australia’s largest ever Stand Up Paddle event in Melbourne on Saturday. His partner Chelsea and son Jack, 14 months, will be there to cheer him on. Picture: Amy Paton Quest: Dustin Neate is one of 200 people registered to participate in Australia’s largest ever Stand Up Paddle event in Melbourne on Saturday. His partner Chelsea and son Jack, 14 months, will be there to cheer him on. Picture: Amy Paton](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/cxHfELQxnFmSLDWweFfSBG/0901b49b-ff21-465b-99dd-be57c890881d.jpg/r0_1025_3456_5068_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
“I’ve owned a SUP for a couple of years now and mainly use it in the surf. The longest I've flat-water paddled is around 3kms.
“Ten kilometres should be a hard slog but it is nothing compared to the pain that cancer brings to its victims and the family and loved ones.”
Mr Neate said he had done little training and expects to pull up “very sore”.
“I don’t do gym. I’m not overly athletic. I think I’m in for a world of hurt,” he laughed. “It will be a different experience.”
To donate or for more information go to https://paddleacrossthebay.everydayhero.com/au/dustin
![Long paddle to test Port Fairy resident Long paddle to test Port Fairy resident](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/cxHfELQxnFmSLDWweFfSBG/0cc7e7e1-e80a-46c7-9661-1dc313a77b2d.jpg/r0_0_3456_5184_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)