The New Weddington Isles - Athletics news

The New Weddington Wanderers are back in Action November 6th 2022!

22/6/2022

And limbering up for the Canberra Fun Run - this time we've given ourselves plenty of training time as the run isnt until 6th November

We'll be raising money for the Starlight Children's Foundation who visit children with serious illness in hospital dressed as superheroes and help send them and their families on trips of a lifetime..

We'll keep you posted!

https://www.starlight.org.au/

Lord Watitune to do Charity Run in Support of New Weddington Official Artist

9/4/2022

Early start tomorrow as I am doing a charity run at the Canberra Running Festival – under the New Weddington Wanderers team colours of course. Had a lung drain earlier this week (a hangover from my hospitalisation with a bout of pneumonia the other month!) – not sure if this will be a help or a hindrance. Either way I won’t be breaking any land speed records!

On a serious note, I am running this to raise funds for the Liverpool Head & Neck Clinic (UK) which is where the New Weddington Official Portraitist and good friend (and Professor of Fine Arts) John Hyatt is currently battling his third case of throat cancer. He’ll be there for several months, and whilst I would like to do more, this is at least a gesture of support to John.

So – off for pasta dinner and an early night. Photos to follow (assuming I make it across the finish line!!)

Lord Watitune

Portrait of Lord Watitune by Prof John Hyatt below, oil on canvas, 2020.

A great weekend for the New Weddington Wanderers team at the ANNUAL TWO-DAY AUSSIE PEACE WALK OF NATIONS

27/3/2022

Members of the Wanderers tackled distances from 7km per day to up to a whopping 42km and 21km. Whilst Lordship Watitune opted for the rather more genteel 7km distances, many of the Wanderers team took on the marathon distances - leaving a Lord abandoned by his Citizens - though we all met up for photos, lunch and the all important Medals after.

Thanks to Citizen Genevieve who accompanied me on the 7km trail, and to all the New Weddingtonians who took part - Karen, Ruth, Malini, Dave, and newly-minted Knight of New Weddington & Minister of Expeditions Doug Fitzgerald (pictured below, mid way through day 1 marathon).

As well as an enjoyable event we had the opportunity to chat to other walkers representing their chosen nations from around the world - in total we gave out over 100 flyers and have 27 expressions of interest in Citizenship!

Most importantly Team New Weddington were able to raise between them a total of over $500 for the UKRAINE CRISIS APPEAL https://www.ukrainecrisisappeal.org/ at an appropriate event to turn our thoughts to our fellow humans suffering at the hand of a macro-national tyrant, for whom Peace is, currently, elusive.

All in all a positive event and a good way to end our second year in the micro-community.

DON'T FORGET YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO JOIN US IN MARKING OUR SECOND OFFICIAL RENEWAL DAY ON 30TH MARCH.

This will include a State of the Nation Address by Lordship Watitune, the formal announcement of the Renewal Day Medallist 2022 and a look to the past (including a virtual tour of Weddington Castle), the present - our current activities in the MicroSporting and Community Engagement arena - and the Future, our goals, our directions, and our plans for 2022/23.... including a presence in space on a NASA moon project!

I sincerely hope you can join us. More soon.

November Charity Run Cancelled Due to Covid - New Weddington Wanderers Team Transfer Registration to April 2022 Run

1/10/2021

Important update from the New Weddington Wanderers team (His Lordship John Brookes, Lord Watitune / Chris / Clare / Mark / Michael / Emily / Leona).

PLEASE NOTE - THIS RUN HAS BEEN MOVED FROM NOVEMBER 2021 TO APRIL 2022 DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS. DONATIONS ALREADY MADE HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE UNHCR FUNDRAISING TOTAL.

The New Weddington Wanderers Team are running raising funds for Australia for UNHCR. Australia for UNHCR help support the 82.4 million refugees and displaced people around the world, and recent events in Afghanistan show just how fortunate we are not to be among them. These traumatised people on the news bulletins aren't fiction, they could be your child, your parent, your loved ones, you.

https://canberramarathon22.grassrootz.com/unrefugees/john-brookes/donate

New Weddington Wanderers gearing up to Run for Afghanistan

18/8/2021

As a general rule we don't put out sponsorship/donor calls to our fellow micronations, but in this case we are making an exception. His Lordship John Brookes, Lord Watitune, will be running a fundraising race along with other representatives of the New Weddington Wanderers athletics team (thanks Chris, Clare, Mark, Michael, Emily and Leona) in Canberra on 7th November.

This is to to raise funds for “Australia for UNHCR”. Australia for UNHCR help support the 82.4 million refugees and displaced people around the world, and recent events in Afghanistan show just how fortunate we are not to be among them. These traumatised people on the news bulletins aren't fiction, they could be your child, your parent, your loved ones, you.

If you are minded to part with a few dollars/pounds/groats etc - even just the price of a cafe latte - it all makes a difference, really, in helping out those who need it, especially at this tragic time. Of course, if you are not in a position to donate then no worries - we all do our part in different ways, for different people and that's fine – in that case all I ask is that you post about how slimline, well-aged and fit our team are looking when we publish the finish line pics on Facebook 😁 (ps: amounts on link are in AUS$).

https://canberrafunrun2021.grassrootz.com/unrefugees/john-brookes/donate

A Sporting Weekend of Highs and Lows for New Weddington

12/4/2021

Well it was a weekend of 2 halves for the New Weddington Warriors Aussie Rules Football teams this weekend with the Men's side suffering a second loss in 4 rounds to cement their places in mid-table at 11th. More disappointingly, an updated score due to a technical glitch on the Women's AFL website saw the New Weddington Women's team final placing for the season slide from 7th to 11th. Still a great achievement for a first season in the game though.

On a more positive note, the New Weddington Wanderers athletics mob completed the Canberra Marathon Festival yesterday. Lord Watitune himself took part and $200 was raised for charity. Coming the day after the sad passing of HRH Prince Phillip, the decision was made by all runners in the team to donate this to "Fields in Trust" a charity dedicated to preserving green spaces for future generations of which His Royal Highness was President for over 60 years.

More dates are being added to the Athletics calendar for 2021, and of course the Aussie Rules Mens league still has plenty of rounds to go...so watch this space!

New Weddington Wanderers to Run in Memory of HRH Prince Philip

10/4/2021

Lord Watitune has announced that the funds raised by the New Weddington Isles Wanderers athletics team at tomorrow's Canberra Running Festival shall be donated to the Fields in Trust Charity, of which HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, was President for over 60 years, championing a lasting legacy of parks and green spaces protected forever to ensure people will always have places to play and be active.

New Weddington Wanderers back in action next week!

4/4/2021

Fresh (?) from the International Peace Walk, the New Weddington Isles' athletics team - aka The New Weddington Wanderers - will be back in action next weekend, competing in the less sedate Canberra Marathon Festival!

This challenging run will be even more challenging given we thought it was in 3 weeks not one!! Still, undaunted the Wanderers will gather at 7.30am on Sunday 11th April alongside thousands of other competitors from around the globe to represent our micronation.

More updates after we cross the Finish Line!

World Peace Walk DAY TWO

28/3/2021

Lord Watitune proudly displays his International Peace Walk medal - a non-competitive event held over 2 days, where His Lordship led a team of fourteen 'New Weddington Wanderers' in officially representing the micronation alongside 40 other nations - ranging from the UK, Tonga, Italy, US, Japan and many others.

Watch out for more 'New Weddington Wanderers' activity soon!

World Peace Walk DAY ONE: New Weddington Wanderers in Action

27/3/2021

The weather was warm and sunny for the International Peace Walk in Canberra this weekend - the New Weddington Isles was represented along with 35 other national teams, from Australia to UK to Fiji and Japan... fielding a 'New Weddington Wanderers' team of fourteen, including Lord Watitune himself.

Further recognition of the Isles' status was demonstrated at this event, with Lord Watitune being invited among other national representatives to ring the World Peace Bell that marks to start of the event (see below)... more pics will be posted after the event.