Mad Mick takes the pain

By CASEY NEILL
MICHAEL ‘Mad Mick’ Dinkgreve was paddling upstream when he took on a 24-hour canoe challenge to raise cash for the YMCA.
The 49-year-old Selby man is a Murray Marathon veteran and wanted to encourage others to participate in the 404-kilometre, five-day fund-raiser from Yarrawonga to Swan Hill.
He paddled his first in 1979 as a 16-year-old, will clock up his 25th this 27 to 31 December, and hopes to make it to his 50th.
“I’ll be 74 then!” he said.
“I am addicted to the Murray Marathon.
“Numbers are dropping off. But it’s just such a fun event and it’s such a social event.”
To celebrate his quarter-century milestone Mad Mick took to Aura Vale Lake in Menzies Creek from 7am on Saturday 14 April to 7am the following day. He only left the canoe when he fell out – twice – and for two toilet stops.
“It was bloody hard. The body was caning,” he said.
“I’m amazed I survived.
“I didn’t even feel any elation after it. I’d just done it and I was finished.
“I could hardly stand up.
“It’s all a learning curve this time. I reckon I will do it again.”
Each Murray Marathon entrant must meet a minimum fund-raising target. The YMCA uses the money to support the local communities the event passes through.
His 24-hour paddle-a-thon has so far brought in more than $1200.
“I couldn’t have done with without (wife) Helen,” he said.
“I couldn’t thank her enough for the amount of time she put into it.”
He also had running partner Stuart Hughes keeping an eye on him throughout the night. Other friends and family joined him on the water and watched on from the banks with walkie-talkies at various points.
Mr Dinkgreve came up with the idea during his training for the marathon last year.
“I wanted to paddle around Aura Vale in the dark but my wife wouldn’t let me,” he said.
As soon as darkness fell winds descended on the lake, testing Mr Dinkgreve’s ability to remain on course and pushing him into rocks. His worst hour was from 3am to 4am.
“I was so sore in the hips, I was just trying to fight the pain,” he said.
“I had to radio for painkillers.”
But he fought through the pain to paddle more than 161 km.
“I’m not hopping keen to get back in,” he said.
Visit https://fundraising.ymca.org.au/Mad_Mick_2012 to donate.