Daniel Federico, Union College resident (affectionately known as ‘Fredo’), has set his sights on his next challenge: walking every trainline in Brisbane to raise money and awareness for the Cancer Council.
Since completing his first fundraiser in 2019, where he walked all 42km of his local trainline, the Hurstbridge Line, Daniel has completed more than 1,500km. His main hope? To find a cure for as many types of cancer as possible within his lifetime.
In Hurstbridge, Victoria, he raised over $23,000 for the Leukemia Foundation. In 2021, walking a total of 221km from Inverloch across the southern coast to Melbourne CBD, he raised $21,000 for the Cancer Council. In 2024, Daniel walked all Melbourne trainlines within the span of a month, raising $8,000 overall.
Now, he has his eyes set on an even bigger challenge – to walk all Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, and Gold Coast trainlines within the month, totaling 600km across 30 days.
Daniel’s desire to fundraise stems from a personal connection – the loss of his older brother, Julian (left, below), to T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) in 2018.
“In the long run, I want to focus as much of my life to fundraising as possible,” he says.
Daniel believes everyone is affected by cancer in some way. The money raised during fundraising efforts such as these supports those impacted by cancer, as well as research into its prevention, diagnoses, and treatment.
Daniel walks the length of the rail lines, passing every station on adjacent paths. His latest venture sees him trekking through beautiful bush landscapes and across stunning coastal views.
“My favourite line to walk so far has been the Redcliffe Peninsula line,” Daniel reflects. “It has a good walk through the city, northern suburbs, and a great walking track towards the coast at Redcliffe.”
So, why trainlines? Aside from his long-term interest, Daniel says they provide a great way for him to walk without assistance. He can park at Station A, walk the length, and then ride the train back to his original destination. It is also a unique fundraiser, keeps him active, and links his love for walking with his passion for fundraising against cancer.
Daniel jokes he is no professional walker, just someone who enjoys the activity. Though he notes that this challenge has been the hardest he’s done so far, physically and mentally.
If you would like to support Daniel’s cause, you can follow his Instagram @fredos.trainline.trek and donate to his Cancer Council fundraiser page.