Yabby Pump

Meet The Yabby Pump Crew 🦞

G’day!

We’re Trey and Johnny, otherwise known as The Mad Chef & The Swollen Budgie.

For the third time, Sir Lazerus is getting the call-up and we're heading off on another Shitbox Rally adventure.

This time, we're taking on Shitbox Rally 2027 Winter, travelling from Cairns to Darwin.

Sir Lazerus might be a battle-scarred Ford by now, but he's ready to take on another adventure.

But this trip isn't really about the car.

It's about why we're doing it.

Trey’s Story

My name is Trey Kovacic, also known as The Mad Chef.

My earliest memory of losing a family member was my great-grandmother, Nanna Pumpkin, who died of bowel cancer.

Around the age of 11, my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She fought for years, trying different trial medications and chemotherapy.

I thank my mother for every bit of pain she endured to still be here with us today.

At the age of 14, my father was diagnosed with rectal bowel cancer, with a tumour the size of a rockmelon.

My father spent three years at home extremely sick before he was finally tested, largely due to mental health issues.

He survived the operation to remove the tumour but was fitted with a colostomy bag that could never be reversed.

Three years later, at the age of 18, my father succumbed to cancer.

One month before he died, I was diagnosed with a calcified meningioma on my frontal lobe.

That was one of the hardest times of my life, but I stayed positive and strong.

The mass has not been found in scans for the last three years.

Johnny’s Story

My name is John Rayner, also known as The Swollen Budgie.

My biggest motivation for this trip is to show my cousin support while she is going through, or hopefully by then recovering from, cancer.

She had been in pain for 18 months and kept being sent home with medication to mask it.

She fell pregnant and found out at around 29 weeks that she had cancer.

Thanks to the brilliant staff in Sydney, Jessie was able to bring little Georgia into the world.

My mother has also instilled in me the importance of skin checks.

At age 18, she had the smallest detected melanoma removed that had been seen at Royal Prince Alfred.

Through my role in the AWU, I have encouraged my employer to provide skin checks.

I have spent time mapping out the logistics and providing quotes from reputable companies. I hope I can get this across the line this year with support from the WHS committee.

Why We're Doing This

Cancer is the biggest reason we're getting back in Sir Lazerus and hitting the road.

Cancer has affected both of our families in deeply personal ways. We've seen the impact it has on the people diagnosed, but also on their families, friends and everyone around them.

We've experienced the fear, the uncertainty, the long battles and, sadly, the loss that cancer can bring.

That's why raising money for Cancer Council is so important to us.

We want to play our small part in supporting the work that goes into cancer research, prevention and support for people and families affected by this disease.

But there is another part of this journey that is just as important to us.

Men's mental health.

Mental health has played a massive role in both our experiences. It was a major factor in Trey's own fight and in his father's story, and it's something we believe more men need to feel comfortable talking about.

Too many men are taught to keep things to themselves, push through and deal with it later.

Sometimes later never comes.

We want to use this trip to help start conversations, encourage men to check in with their mates and remind people that asking for help isn't a sign of weakness.

We also want to give credit to the Alpha Blokes Podcast.

Trey is an avid listener, and he couldn’t resist using the name of their racehorse for our team, as they have done so much for him personally in helping to clear the mental head noise for men.

So while our main fundraising goal is to support Cancer Council, we also want this journey to shine a light on men's mental health.

We're two mates jumping into an old Ford, driving from Cairns to Darwin, raising money, sharing our stories and hopefully encouraging a few more blokes along the way to speak up when things aren't going so well.

Cancer brought us to the starting line.

Mental health gives this journey another reason to keep driving.

Our Goal 🎯

On this journey, we hope to raise $10,000 or more.

This trip means the world to us as two mates giving something back and going on an adventure for our personal mental health.

You may not know us yet...

But you will.

These funds go to Cancer Council, and we are extremely proud to do our part to support such a worthy charity.

Fundraising is the hard part, so any donation you can give is greatly appreciated.

Every dollar gets us closer to our goal and helps us turn this crazy adventure into something that can make a genuine difference.

And if our battered old Ford can somehow make it from Cairns to Darwin, we're pretty confident we can make some noise along the way.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and thank you for supporting us.

🦞❤️ The Yabby Pump is back on the road.

Cairns → Darwin.

$10,000+ for Cancer Council.

Let's see how far we can take this.