Bogong Brand Ambassadors
Matt Crehan - Trail Runner
Ashlee Hendy - Rock Climber
Sia Kindberg - Trail Runner
Nicole Paton - Trail Runner & Backcountry Skier
Mitch Docker - Cyclist & Trail Runner
Youth Athletes - Rock Climbers
Matt Crehan started running relatively late in the game. Not an overly sporty kid, in high school Matt used to swim on and off, and was a volunteer surf life saver. Through his 20s, Matt continued swimming sporadically and in 2015 during a spell of swimming every day, Matt went on a field trip to New Zealand for university and couldn’t swim each morning. Instead he started running around the dramatic landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island. Soon he was hooked. With a new-found love for running and a background in swimming, triathlon was an obvious next step. Matt dabbled with the long distance format – completing a bunch of halves and one full Ironman – but eventually realised triathlons are more about cycling. Matt enjoyed the variety in training, but preferred to spend long days out on the trail rather than on a road bike. Eventually his focus shifted from doing triathlons in the summer and trail running in the winter to only competing in trail races year-round. Starting with relatively short distances, Matt progressed to ultras and found his sweet spot in events 50–100km long. In 2019, Matt competed in 14 events, at distances ranging from a marathon to 160km (100 miles). He was fortunate enough to do a couple of events in early 2020 before coronavirus wreaked havoc to the race calendar and was grateful to get back on the start line for Surf Coast Century (Anglesea, Victoria on the Great Ocean Road) in December 2020. Top Recent Results
Read Matt's blog articles here Follow Matt on Instagram @mattcrehan and Strava |
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Ashlee Hendy became a ‘climber’ when she was 12 years old, visiting indoor facilities in Melbourne multiple times per week and entering in climbing competitions throughout her high-school years. Over the next 20 years, her interest quickly turned into an obsession and eventually a lifestyle. She now lives in Natimuk (Western Victoria) where she finally feels at home, just 10 mins from the base of the world-famous Mount Arapiles and within day trip distance of all the best crags in the Grampians. Slow and steady progress has been the key to Ashlee’s ongoing success and love for climbing. She likes to challenge herself physically and mentally on the Wimmera’s finest hard sport and trad routes, but also enjoys a social day at the crag with lifelong climbing buddies just as much as sending a long-term project. Ashlee works at Deakin University and has a degree in Exercise and Sports Science, and a PhD in Neurophysiology, a career that provides her with training knowledge that helps her progress and avoid injury. Over the years, Ashlee has built up an impressive tick list including some of the countries best routes, as well as a handful of respectable achievements while travelling the USA in 2019: The Grampians: Serpentine (29), Eye of the Tiger (29), Anaconda (28), Touchstone pictures (28), Venom (28), Monkey Puzzle (28), Not Too Bad (28), Desert Crack (27) Arapiles: Slinkin’ Leopard (28), India (28), The Great Escape (28), Required (28, climbed at 12 weeks pregnant), Mind Arthritis (27) USA: Fight Club (30), Disposable Heroes (30), Paradise Lost (29), Snooker (28 – flash), and many more! Read Ashlee's blog articles here Follow Ashlee on Instagram @ashleehendy |
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Sia Kindberg (as seen on Channel 9 News and Take 5 Magazine, heard on ABC Radio) started running at aged 12, when she took the wrong turn around a lake and kept running for 11 hours and realised while she had no sense of direction, she did have the stamina and endurance to go far. An experienced and passionate trail / ultra runner, Sia Kindberg became the first Australian to complete the Ice Ultra held in February 2024 in the Swedish Arctic Circle. This 5 day event was 230km self-sufficient Ultra Marathon running across snowfields, Arctic tundras and frozen lakes in temperatures as low as -40 degrees. Sia is now training for The Track, a 520km 10 day event that takes place in the Northern Territory, between the town of Alice Springs and Uluru in May 2025. From the ice to the desert, Sia is keen to conquer extreme environments and further her fundraising efforts for her childhood school in Thailand (see link at the bottom of this profile). Sia was inspired to sign up for the Ice Ultra after losing two friends to aggressive cancer at the start of 2023, which by served as a potent reminder that “the best time to do something we love or want is always now! We sit and wait for “the right moment” and forget that tomorrow might not even come”. By running the Ice Ultra, Sia is fundraising to rebuild her childhood school in Thailand (fundraising page link below and on her Instagram bio). An interior designer by trade and a mother of two girls who often accompany her on hiking and camping trips. She speaks 5 languages and had a diverse upbringing. Born in Thailand, moved to Sweden at the age of eight, studied in Germany and Greece. Previously a Road Ultra Marathon runner, now focusing mainly on trail and mountain running. The events she completed include the Great Ocean Road Ultra, Surf Coast Century, Gone Nuts, Mount Macedon Ultra, Mount Buller Sky Run and Warburton Trail Fest. A passional advocate for the outdoor life, Sia believes that running / trail running is accessible for everyone - arguing that it is a sport for all sizes and ages. “It’s not about how fast or how far you go and sometimes it’s not even about running. It’s about getting out there moving and being outdoors”. Nature, she believes has an incredible power to heal, cleanse, strengthen and give peace. It’s important we incorporate that into our own and our children’s lives! Training 5 days a week, Sia is currently taking advantage of the Victorian winter to train in snow and icy conditions in and around the national parks and snow fields across the state. Rebuild Childhood School Fundraiser Follow Sia on Instagram @siakindberg and Strava |
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Nicole Paton is a competitive ultra runner from Melbourne specialising in the 60-100km distance on mountainous terrain. Growing up on a farm in North-East Victoria she had a very active and adventurous outdoor lifestyle as a child. Her parents enjoy travelling around Australia, camping and hiking so that was a large part of her outdoorsy upbringing. Nicole began her running career as a child running school Track and Cross-Country events at state level. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that she really discovered her passion for mountain ultra running after meeting some inspiring mountain runners while trekking in Nepal. Shortly after that trip, she bought her very first pair of trail runners at Bogong Equipment back in 2015 and has purchased many more items since that time. Nicole ran her first mountain race in early 2016 at the Razorback Run and since that time she has completed 15x 100km events and over 50 ultras. She was teammates with fellow Bogong Sponsored Athlete Matt Crehan representing Australia at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in 2023 and they were the respective male and female winners of the 2024 Cradle Mountain Ultra Run. Further to this, Nicole is an active member of the Victorian Ultra Runners trail running community that Bogong generously supports. She is also a run leader for Dandenong Trail Runners. Snow Sports Nicole loves to spend her time in the mountains and is a keen backcountry snowboarder and ski mountaineer. To pursue this passion, she spends as much time as possible at Mt Hotham during the winter season. Nicole is the booking officer and marketing manager for Leeton Alpine Sports Club at Mount Hotham and is an active member of the Hotham community. Nicole has been an enthusiastic volunteer for the Victorian Backcountry Festival since its creation in 2018. In 2023 she was the lead splitboard guide for the festival. She has also worked as an assistant guide with other local backcountry guiding companies. Nicole has travelled extensively pursuing the sport of backcountry snowboarding including both guided and self-guided expeditions in Japan, Canada, Alaska, Colorado, New Zealand and Kashmir, India. Top Recent Results
Follow Nicole on Facebook @nicolepaton22, Instagram @nicolepaton22 and Strava Click to return to top of page
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Mitch Docker may be known to you as a world tour elite level pro cyclist. He competed on the professional circuit from 2006 to 2021. He retired from pro cycling at the end of 2021. Well known as a classics rider he nevertheless competed in and finished seven of cycling’s gruelling 21 day Grand Tours with the steep and narrow roads of Spain a constant companion over many editions of the Vuelta a España. Since he rode his final professional race at the 2021 Paris-Roubaix, Mitch has been redicovering all of the things that made him fall in love with cycling in the first place. He has come home to Australia and been waking up for bunch rides that finish when Melbourne’s cafés open. He has got into the mountain biking scene and can often be found at grit or gravel races. Mitch has an elite understanding and knowledge of the nutrition needs for endurance events and his connection with and advocacy for Skratch Labs products is what has led him to Bogong. This knowledge is directly applicable to our trail running customers. He is expanding his interests into the outdoors and recently placed 6th male and 7th overall in the 2023 Surf Coast Century 50km trail running event with a time of 4 hours 33 minutes 20 seconds plus perhaps give some rock climbing a try. You can catch Mitch on his podcast Life in the Peloton, which is about all things cycling and more, and has been keeping busy commentating, podcasting and coaching endurance athletes. He has also launched a book under same name. Follow Mitch on Instagram @mitchbowen and Strava |
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Claire Cheffings Claire is a local Melbourne climber. She bought both her first and most recent pairs of shoes from Bogong, as well as plenty of gear that's part of a great range of products and in-person experience. Throughout this journey so far, Claire has become the Junior Victorian Lead Champion for 2023, the Junior Vice National Champion for both 2022 and 2023, placed as the highest Australian in her category at the 2022 Youth World Championships in Boulder, and qualified for Boulder and Lead at the 2023 Youth World Championships. Follow Claire on Instagram @misscheff.ings
Harper Migios Harper is a 16 year old rock climber who has been coming 2nd in both Lead and Boulder for Youth National Championships in Australia as well as winning the Victorian Youth Boulder Titles. He is also participating in the 32nd edition of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Youth World Championships in Seoul this year. Follow Harper on Instagram @harper.climbs |