The Kokoda Trail, a famous battle site in Papua New Guinea, is a treacherous 60-mile trail that many experienced hikers cannot complete. But Kurt Fearnley, who cannot use his legs, is planning to travel the entire trail by crawling it.
During World War II, Australian and Japanese troops fought a bloody 7-month series of battles in the mountains and forests of Papua New Guinea, over a 60-mile stretch of wilderness known as the Kokoda Trail. Though fighting is never easy, the Kakoda’s treacherous terrain made the battles even more dangerous: the area is known for steep, rocky cliffs; dense rainforest; and difficult river crossings. Soldiers were also prone to tropical diseases like malaria, and faced brutal weather conditions including extreme heat and cold, as well as torrential storms. While the Australian troops ultimately won the campaign, the Kokoda claimed many lives on both sides—more than 7,000 troops were killed in battle.
Today, anyone is free to travel the Kokoda Trail, but it is still an extremely difficult trek—those who decide to make the trip, which takes between 4 and 12 days, must be in great physical condition. At the very least, you might think that the ability to walk is a top priority.
But 28-year-old Kurt Fearnley doesn’t agree. Fearnley, born with a condition called agenesis, which prevented his legs from developing, has always believed that he can achieve anything he wants. He’s been an avid wheelchair racer for over 8 years, placing gold in three Paralympics tournaments. Now, Fearnley is preparing himself to take on the treacherous Kokoda Trail by crawling the entirety of the dangerous route.
When Fearnley tells people about his ambitious plans to crawl the trail, accompanied by a group of 16 friends and family members, strangers often think he’s insane. But it’s all a matter of perspective, he says.
During the WWII battles, “people were crawling down there with legs missing, with limbs missing, with bullets shooting at them, with dysentery, with malaria, with an army on their heels - so whatever happens to us, no matter how tough we seem to be having it, people have had it far worse,” he told The Age.
The historic climb will help Fearnley to show the world that he, and others like him, are not disabled simply because their bodies don’t function the same way that most people’s do—a message he’s been sharing for many years. He recalls a trip to a refugee camp in Syria, where he spoke to a crowd of children and their families about how much parents can help their children achieve by simply letting them know that anything is possible.
“If they get their kids to feel confident, anything can happen, they can do absolutely anything on the planet and to see these mums’ and dads’ eyes open and then start crying, it was incredible,” he said.
While Fearnley recognizes that crawling the length of the Kokoda Trail is sure to be the most challenging feat of his life, he’s ready to take on whatever awaits him.
“No doubt it’s going to be one of the most incredible and fascinating stories of human accomplishment,” Wayne Weatherall, Fearnley’s guide, told The Daily Telegraph.
Anyone who walks the track knows how tough it is. To try to crawl across it, that’s remarkable. But I can tell now, there’s no way in the world he’s going to fail.”