Major Michael Carroll meets Albury Legacy ahead of Murray River trip

Michael Carroll, a 30-year army veteran now working with the reserves, plans to paddle, or pedal, from Albury to Mannum in South Australia later this year to raise money for Legacy.

Major Carroll, of Heathcote, visited the Border this week to outline the adventure to Albury Legacy club members.

Starting on Vietnam Veterans' Day, August 18, the 2160km trip will end on Remembrance Day, November 11, with the traveller planning to work around any commemorative services on either day.

Major Carroll retired from the regular army 18 months ago and looked for a challenging way to raise money that involved the Murray and his passion for paddle steamers.

"Mine's a scaled down version of a paddle steamer but it's a pedal boat," he said. "The hull itself is three metres long ... the deck is two metres across the beam."

So it's a one-man boat?

"Only just," he replied with a grin.

IN OTHER NEWS:

In 2019 the major raised up to $10,000 for Legacy through Brothers In Arms, an anthology of military poems he had written - he hopes to collect 10 times as much with this year's endeavour.

His commitment to Legacy, a non-profit group that supports families of deceased or unwell service personnel, stems back to the childhood of his late mother and her twin sister.

The youngest of seven siblings, their father was an army sergeant in World War II.

"He died when they were eight and their mother was ill with tuberculosis and she died 12 months later," Major Carroll said.

The twins spent nearly a decade living at Stanhope, a Legacy children's home in Kew, seeing their older siblings on weekends.

At a time when life in other institutions could be grim, Legacy ensured the girls received birthday and Christmas presents, Easter eggs and holidays away.

"That's a long period of time in helping to shape an individual, two beautiful women," Major Carroll said.

"I owe a debt to Legacy for having a huge influence on who Mum was."

The trip will average about 30km a day on the water, with the schedule flexible enough to allow for rest or catch-up days as needed as well as functions along the route.

Major Carroll is self-funding the boat's construction and his travelling needs. A locked tin - the key held by Legacy - will secure any cash donations he receives.

Albury Legacy president Ian Deegan said his club was "100 per cent" behind the fundraiser.

"Legacy think it's a great thing that he's doing and we just hope he has a life jacket," Mr Deegan joked.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: