Oxley's Mission Is Possible

Illawarra Mercury

Monday April 10, 2000

By DAVID ILIFFE

Rod Oxley is no slouch.

The Wollongong City Council general manager has done his fair share of danger sports over the years, including skydiving, and he's not afraid to accept a dare.

So abseiling down the side of Sydney's Regent Hotel to raise dollars for Mission Australia as part of the charity's annual Heartstopper campaign didn't seem like too much of an ask, until he stepped out of the lift on the 36th floor yesterday morning and looked over the edge.

``I said to myself `what am I doing here?"' he said later.

``It was a bloody long way down."

Although no stranger to abseiling, he said he had never tried it at that height before.

``But once I got harnessed up I was all right," he said. ``The most difficult part was looking down and then climbing over the edge and starting."

Organisers said many people were keen to repeat the stunt as soon as they reached the bottom, but Mr Oxley said cautiously: ``I didn't want to do it again straight away."

Mission Australia spokeswoman Leanne Crouch said this year's Heartstopper campaign, which allowed everyone who raised over $460 for the charity the opportunity to take the plunge, had been a huge success.

``Overall, we had around 500 people jump off and raised about $200,000," she said.

``And from Wollongong we had 16 people jump and they raised around $10,000 in total, all of which will be spent in Wollongong on things like counselling programs for the homeless and disadvantaged."