Trekkers will traverse the Fleurieu Peninsula next month as part of the fight to kick bowel cancer’s butt.

More than 100 people have so far signed up for the JLF Trek, run by the Jodi Lee Foundation.

The two-day, 70.5km trek challenges participants to walk along the grueling Heysen Trail from Jupiter Creek, west of Echunga in the Adelaide Hills, through Kuitpo Forest, finishing at Mount Compass. A post-event celebration will be held at Fox Gordon Winery.

This year the trek takes place on Friday and Saturday 7-8 August, with shorter distance options of 35.5km, 27km and 10.5km being held on the Saturday.

There is still time to enter a team before entries close tomorrow (Friday 24 July). Entry fees and individual fundraising targets start at $60 and $150 respectively.

Organisers hope to get 140 participants for the 2020 trek. It is a much lower figure than the usual 300 because, as Jodi Lee Foundation co- founder Tiffany Young explains, “it has been an unusual year”. 

“We are thankful for the people who are still keen to get out and take part to help us raise awareness of bowel cancer and funds to support our many initiatives,” she says.

One of them is John Clements, 63, of Normanville, who will take on the trek for the ninth time.

“It is pretty much ingrained into me,” says the bowel cancer survivor, who has also had a knee replacement. This hasn’t slowed him down, with John also regularly participating in the Cancer Council’s Relay for Life in addition to the JLF Trek.

John has entered the trek as part of the Rotary Rotators team with fellow Rotarians. At time of writing, they’d raised more than $5,000 toward the JLF’s bowel cancer awareness and prevention initiatives.

It’s a cause close to John’s heart - “and his bum,” he jokes. John was diagnosed with bowel cancer in March 2007. He credits his mother for saving his life. She was being treated for cancer, and although John was symptomless, she “pestered” him to do a bowel cancer screening test.

Thankfully, his cancer was detected early, and after 12 courses of chemotherapy in six months he was cleared of the disease.

“I am one of the luckier ones,” John says.

Sadly, John’s mother and her two sisters died from bowel cancer. 

Being touched by bowel cancer is something many trek participants have in common. “No-one does it randomly,” John says.

He enjoys the camaraderie during the trek, and also being forced to get out and train for it in advance. He is currently walking 8-10 km per day.

“I’ve seen people whose lives have been transformed from unhealthy [and] overweight to getting in and doing the exercise, eating properly, drinking less. It has the power to do that if you get into it and discipline yourself.”

John is passionate about early detection, and shares his story with others wherever he goes. He recounts a story about a Melbourne couple, Paula and Ian, whom he and wife Louise befriended on a cruise to Gallipoli for the centenary commemorations.

John says the couple received their free bowel cancer screening tests from the government in the mail, and they went to the wayside until Paula thought: “if I don’t do that John will be upset when we see them”. She and Ian did the tests and Paula's came back with instructions to see her doctor.

A tumour was detected early enough for it to be removed, and without any further treatment she could move on with her life.

“Had she not talked to me she would have just chucked it on the fridge,” John says.

Over 99 per cent of cases can be successfully treated if detected early. However, only 41 per cent of people of the 50-74 year olds who receive a free bowel cancer screening test every two years through the government's initiative actually complete one.

The foundation urges everyone to do the test. It’s also easy to arrange one from your GP or order one online at little to no cost, even if you are under the key age of 50 when the risk of bowel cancer rises sharply and progressively, or after the age 74 cutoff for the free program.

Tiffany advises, “If you are experiencing symptoms, particularly blood in your poo, skip the test and go straight to your GP”. 

“Other symptoms to watch out for include tiredness, loss of weight, a change in bowel habits for more than two weeks, or frequent gas pains, fullness, bloating or cramps.”

Tiffany is full of praise for the Fleurieu region and its people: “We love the Fleurieu!” she gushes.

2020 is the 10th year of the Jodi Lee Foundation, which throughout the years has run the event over different sections of the Heysen Trail, from Parachilna to Cape Jervis.

“The Fleurieu is a favourite for us and our trekkers because of its proximity to Adelaide and the wonderfully diverse scenery – we have trekked through national parks, along the beach, ocean cliffs and farmland, all of it breathtaking,” Tiffany says.

“There are also a range of accommodation options to house well over 300 people once we include our event management team and volunteers, and plenty of restaurants to feed our participants who are in need of a hearty meal after a 40km trek.”

She thanked the Rotary volunteers including Louise Clements, John’s wife, who help at checkpoints and the finish line celebration.

Tiffany also acknowledges the various Fleurieu councils for their support with providing permits, the local pubs and clubs who have “fed hundreds and hosted our pre-event briefing nights”, and the Friends of the Heysen trail who maintain the trail year round and place signage to keep the trekkers on track.

For more information about the JLF Foundation and bowel cancer, see the JLF Foundation website.