2015 Gallipoli Games

Australian University Sport (AUS) has named Australia’s national team of student athletes ahead of the inaugural 2015 Gallipoli Games in Turkey next month. Set to make their international debut in the Cross Country competition of the games, MUAC’s very own Samuel Blake, Lachlan Hegarty, Ian Lawford and Max Udea will toe the line for Australia.

Commemorating the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign, the biennial multisport event will be held from 25-29 April, and is an opportunity to celebrate the strong links of friendship and shared history between the seven countries who participated in the historic campaign – Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, France, Germany and India.

The Games were formed from a vision to establish a sporting event that demonstrates former hostilities can be exchanged for harmony and solidarity between nations and across continents.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students and Registrar) at Macquarie University and AUS President Deidre Anderson acknowledged the cultural significance of the Games.

“The Gallipoli centenary is an opportunity for those nations involved to reflect on the sacrifices made by young men and women, and to celebrate the unity, friendship and respect shared by these countries today,” Ms Anderson said.

Above all, the four MUAC athletes hope to bring with them the camaraderie and larrikin spirit that Australian troops were renowned for during the Gallipoli campaign. Irrespective of the race result, each athlete appreciates the enormity of the trip and the history ingrained within the soil over which they will run.

Lachlan Hegarty, who was able to find time between his stressful study schedule and internet meme generation business commented that:

“The Gallipoli Games are a celebration of the sacrifices made by all countries during the First World War. We are incredibly lucky not only to be able to race in Turkey but also to compete against, and form friendships with, athletes from all over the world in a time of peace. 100 years ago young men no older than me fought in far off lands facing almost certain death, to honour their legacy through the medium of sport is an opportunity of a lifetime.