It is the highlight of five long distance running events Jenni will complete in the hope of raising $25,000 for the Parkes Hospital.

Jenni was born and raised on the family farm ‘Kirkup’, with her parents Bill and Joy, and sisters Christine (Weston) and Kim (May).

She lives in Mudgee with her husband Tim and their three sons William (8), Sam (6) and Jock (3).

Jenni said she started running when Jock was three months old.

“At that stage we had three boys under 5,” she said.

“I needed something to do for myself, something to get me out of the house and clear my head, so I chose running.

“I’ve always played hockey, and mostly as a wing, so I knew I enjoyed running, and I have the physique for it.”

Not long after Jenni started running, her father was diagnosed with Myelodysplasia (MDS), a blood cancer that affects normal blood cell production in the bone marrow.

30% of sufferers will develop leukaemia. 

There is no cure for MDS. 

Supportive care is the only treatment and this differs for every patient.

Bill receives a blood transfusion every two weeks at the Parkes Hospital as well as any other care he needs.

Jenni said her parents are doing all the right things to keep him as healthy as possible.

“They are still living on the farm in the fresh air and watching their diet carefully,” she said.

“Dad has gone from being a really active grandparent to now having  about three days of wellness after a transfusion.

“They take advantage of the good days and get as much quality experiences in as they can before he is unwell and needs rest. 

“We have to be careful about our own health when we visit as dad has practically no immune system. A simple cold can put him in hospital.”

“Even after doing everything right, MDS will still rob dad of around 15 years of his life.”

Jenni’s grandfather, Col Freebairn also had MDS.

“Pop passed away at 88 shortly after he was diagnosed,” she said.

“He progressed very quickly to Leukemia. So in some ways we were fortunate he was in his mid 80's when he was diagnosed.”

Running has give Jenni plenty of time to think about her father’s diagnosis and the changes it has meant for her family.

“Because dad is at the Parkes Hospital every two weeks, I decided I wanted to raise money for the hospital,” Jenni said. 

“The situation is slightly unusual because the new hospital is still being built. The Lachlan Health Service have been very supportive, but we will have to wait until closer to the hospital opening before we can confirm what the money will be spent on. 

“One thing is sure, the money will be used for equipment or facilities in Parkes that many patients will benefit from. That is very important to Dad and I.”

Jenni’s first big running event was the City to Surf in 2013, and last year she completed two half marathons as well as the City to Surf.

The Gobi March has been a goal since she read an article on it in a magazine.

“A friend of my sister, Bernice Hinds (nee Simmons) who now lives in Harden, participated in a desert run four years ago,” Jenni said.

“I thought it sounded fantastic and maybe I could do that too.”

Jenni has already completed two of the five long distance running events.

In March she ran the 42km Marathon at the Colour City Running Festival in Orange, and in April she ran the 150km ANZAC Ultra Marathon in Canberra.

After the Gobi March, Jenni will compete in two smaller events in August.

“Just to remind myself of the fun of going for a simple run, I’m doing the 14km City2Surf and the 42km Marathon at the Mudgee Running Festival,” she said.

While in Parkes last weekend, Jenni ran 10km in the Rotary Fun Run. 

She was the 10th woman home. 

Her children William and Sam also competed in their age groups, while Jock cheered them on.

The Gobi March

The Gobi March is part of the 4 Deserts Race series organised by the company Racing the Planet. 

Jenni will be one of up to 170 competitors representing 40 countries who are expected to compete in the 7-day, 6-stage, self-supported endurance footrace which starts on Sunday, May 31.

The course is located in the Hami region in Xinjiang Province, in China.

The Gobi Desert is the windiest non-polar desert in the world and the terrain is a mixture of alpine hills, rocky river-beds, dusty tracks, narrow ridge paths, green pastures, sand dunes, salt flats and some river crossings.

Jenni said she has done her research and feels well prepared. 

“The 150km in Canberra was a great experience, I learnt a lot about my equipment and my fitness,” Jenni said.

“I completed that in two days, 75km a day, so in some ways it was tougher than Gobi. I had to just keep going, with only five hours sleep in the middle.

“This Gobi March is the 10th time at the location and the race has a good reputation,” she said.

Jenni has to be self-sufficient and carry everything she needs with her in her backpack, including her bed and seven days worth of food.

“I will pack freeze dried ‘Astronaut  food’, porridge, protein bars and sports gel,” she said.

“Potato chips are really good because they are high in salt and calories. I crush them in their bag and roll them up really tight.

“I’m also taking hot chocolate for my nightly treat.” 

The temperatures will vary from   the mid 30s during the day to zero degrees at night.

“I’ll take plenty of sunscreen and my goose down jacket,” Jenni said.

At camp each night competitors sleep in a traditional Yurt - a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt that sleep around 12 people.

There are about six Australians competing in the race, but Jenni is most excited about meeting the first all-women Afghanistan team.

“They have entered for the first time this year,” Jenni said.

“That is seriously cool, I’m really looking forward to meeting them. Being women they have had to train in secret.”

Jenni trains six days a week - running four days and doing strength and weight training the other two.

She goes trail running in the bush, across the mountains or on dirt roads around Mudgee, always with her backpack.

The Itinerary

The Gobi March course has a total of 2,400 meters / 7,800 feet of elevation gain and 3,700 meters / 12,100 feet of elevation loss. 

The lowest point of the course is at 190 meters / 620 feet and the highest point is just under 2,700 meters / 8,860 feet.

Day 1, 36km at an altitude of 2500 metres; Day 2, 40km at 2700m - 1500m; Day 3, 43km at 1500m; Day 4, 46km at 1500m - 500m; Days 5 and 6, 70km at 500m and less; and Day 7, 15km to the finish line.

Stage 5, on days 5 and 6, will run into the evening so Jenni will also need to carry a headlamp with her.

The race ends at 12pm on Saturday, June 6. 

Competitors will enjoy an awards banquet in the evening and stay overnight at the Hami Hotel before leaving for home the next day.

Jenni’s background

Jenni went to Parkes primary school and Parkes High School up to Year 10, completing Years 11 and 12 at  Ravenswood Girls School in Sydney.

She went on to study Agricultural Economics at Sydney University, before backpacking overseas for four years.

“My first job was as a nanny in Italy for six months,” she said.

“They couldn’t speak a word of English and I couldn’t speak a word of Italian!”

After moving home to Australia she worked in the travel industry for Flight Centre for seven years, working her way up to HR Manager of one of their corporate brands.

“It was still all about travel,” Jenni said.

“I spent every spare dollar on flights.”

Jenni moved home to Parkes and back on the farm in 2001.

She worked at Parkes TAFE part time as a teacher/project officer in the Primary Industries and Natural Resources faculty. 

She taught throughout the Western Institute but was happiest when based at Northparkes mine as the training rep from TAFE. 

Jenni met her husband Tim through mining and they married in 2006.

The three boys came along and in 2011 they bought a run down old vineyard on 150 acres in Mudgee.

Tim now works at the Moolarben coal mine at Ulan while Jenni is a full time mum.

She keeps busy with holiday accommodation on their property, and of course, running!

You can support Jenni in her quest to raise $25,000 for the benefit of patients at the Parkes Hospital by donating to her ‘Rundraiser’ online at www.ozcrowd.com/campaigns/jennis-rundraiser, or by cheque/cash by contacting Jenni on 0412 091 710 or Joy Freebairn on 02 6864 3211 for bank details.

Keep up with all Jenni’s news from Gobi on her facebook page Jenni's Rundraiser, or her blog on the official Gobi March website at  www.4deserts.com/gobimarch/