Captain Australia’s big lap: Simon Harvey arrives in Darwin for The Kids’ Cancer Project

After nearly two years on the road, 54-year-old cancer battler ‘Captain Australia’ is nearing the end of his massive 15,000km walk. Find out why he’s doing it.

When Simon Harvey, better known as ‘Captain Australia’, was diagnosed with Stage 4 head and neck cancer in 2021, his doctors thought that he could only have another six months left to live. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

When Simon Harvey, better known as ‘Captain Australia’, was diagnosed with Stage 4 head and neck cancer in 2021, his doctors thought that he only had another six months left to live.

It was during this time the now 54-year-old reminisced about his childhood.

“I left home when I was young,” he recalled.

“I went to live with my grandmother, and I walked from Brisbane to Melbourne.”

Mr Harvey raised about $165,000 on his last fundraising walk. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Harvey said he had an epiphany: “I needed to do another walk to heal”.

In 2021 he went ahead and walked from Brisbane to Melbourne, raising $165,000 for The Kids’ Cancer Project.

Most recently, he’s raised the stakes even higher; rather than just walking from Brisbane to Melbourne, Mr Harvey aimed to trek the whole of Australia – a monster 15,000 kilometres.

With the walk set to take up to two years in total, Mr Harvey, who has raised about $111,000 so far, hopes he can raise $1 million for the cause.

His most recent journey started in Brisbane in July 2023, and he arrived in Darwin – the “final leg” of his journey – on June 20.

Mr Harvey, better known as Captain Australia, is using only his solar-powered trolley. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Using only his solar-powered trolley to carry his food and belongings, Mr Harvey is often left to sleep in the bushland.

The whole trek is expected finish in Brisbane by November.

There are plenty of easier ways to raise money, Mr Harvey said, but the “easy thing doesn’t necessarily mean the right thing”.

“This was the fit for me because it’s hard; the more difficult the quest, the more righteous,” he said.

“I could do this in a cynical way and go ‘Oh, look at me, blah blah blah’ on social media, but I don’t want to do that.

Mr Harvey said he wanted to take on the “hardest thing possible and achieve it”. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“I want authentically take on the hardest possible thing and achieve it, and if you see it, you tell your friend about, and in doing that I’ve genuinely earned your regard.

But on top of raising money for cancer, the walk is also grounded in Mr Harvey’s belief of “using the extra time that I’ve been given off cancer to do something meaningful”.

“It’s not just about raising the money, it’s about doing the right thing the right way.”

“If I can help just one person, then maybe the world will get better.”

To find out more go to: https://www.capsbiglap.au/

Originally published as Captain Australia’s big lap: Simon Harvey arrives in Darwin for The Kids’ Cancer Project