Helensburgh dad walks 35km to the shops – and not due to fuel crisis
Daniel Peyton is in training for a three-day trek from Sydney to Newcastle to raise money for brain cancer research
Daniel Peyton’s father-in-law ran a small business, working in glass installation and repairs. He loved golf, hanging out with mates and jokingly giving Dan a hard time, which was how he knew he was part of the family.
“His name was Rob, known as Robbo,” says Dan. “He was a really amazing father and husband, and father-in-law. He worked really hard all of his life for his family. Just a real knock-around bloke – loved his footy, loved his Cronulla Sharks.”
Rob Usov died in 2019, aged 62, about five months after being diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer. Dan his now preparing to honour his memory in the best possible way – walking 150km from Sydney to Newcastle, arriving at McDonald Jones Stadium on June 28, just in time for a Knights vs Tigers game.
“It's for the Mark Hughes Foundation, so it aligns with the NRL round, the Beanies for Brain Cancer round,” Dan says. “We arrive and do a lap of honour around the stadium, which is really cool.
“This will be my third year doing it, and [all together] we've raised over a million dollars for brain cancer research.”
Dan’s wife, Vanessa, will be there to welcome him.
“I know she's very proud, and she really enjoys the fact that I'm doing it for Robbo. She’s got to know a few of the other family members who've gone through similar experiences, so I think that's a little comforting as well.”
His sons, 11-year-old Brodie and nine-year-old Carter, will be at the finish line too, keen to meet the footy stars. “There’s some well-known retired football players that do the walk … guys like Adam Muir, Billy Peden, a few TV presenters, Marlee Silva and her dad, Rod Silva.”
Dan discovered the Big Three Trek through a friend and did his first one, amid pouring rain, three years ago. Last year, his group raised $355,000.
This year, Dan will be stepping out for another loved one lost to cancer: his sister-in-law Cheree, who died from bowel cancer in November 2025, aged 44, leaving behind a husband Troy (Vanessa's brother) and daughters Lyla and Lily.
Dan Peyton with his sons and foundation founder Mark Hughes
While cancer impacts all too many families, Dan has been inspired by the strength, courage and positivity of the “warriors” he’s met on the walk.
“Many of them have either gone through brain cancer or are family members or friends with someone who suffered from it, or who's passed away.
“Last year, there was one guy who, on the morning of day two, he took his second round of chemo. It was just amazing. I was saying, ‘So it's almost annoying that you're here, Dave, because, like, I can't whinge about how sore my feet are right now, because you literally went through chemo this morning.’ It gives you a lot of perspective.”
At 50km a day over three days, even with the support of roadside well-wishers, a physio and a coffee van, it’s a gruelling trek, taking in the Harbour City’s coastline, national park and, on the final day, highway. “We probably spent half the time talking about our feet, and then sharing blister stories,” Dan says, laughing.
While his training is “pretty minimal”, it does include the odd 15 or 20km walk. On these, Dan would like company.
“It can get boring, so I would love to just if anyone's keen – just to hit me up to just walk, whether it's a kilometre or 20. I'm big on mental health as well, I know that exercise and just talking about stuff is helpful at the same time.
“I walked from from my home in Helensburgh down to the Wollongong shops the other day, that was 35km. That's probably the longest walk I've done outside of the Newcastle walk. It's probably more just walking my dog. I also do the parkrun at Helensburgh oval every Saturday morning with my son.”
L to R: Dan with Mark Hughes, the Team Robbo shirt, and Vanessa and Carter, who loves doing Helensburgh parkrun with his dad.
The family have lived in Helensburgh for 10 years and, with both boys at Helensburgh Public School, Brodie playing for the Tigers in football and Carter for the Thistles in soccer, they’re well known in the close-knit community.
Driven to help others in his professional life too, Dan works for a charity called Habitat for Humanity that sends volunteer teams overseas to build homes in countries including Cambodia and Vietnam, Nepal.
They also help in Australia: after the Black Summer bushfires, teams supported stricken South Coast residents in the recovery. “We did a lot of resilience work, so getting communities better prepared for the next disaster,” Dan says. "Because, you know, it's inevitable there'll be another one.”
Over the years, Dan has personally raised about $8000 in the Big Three Trek. All up, the event has garnered more than $1.1 million to fund brain cancer awareness and research via the Mark Hughes Foundation, named for the former Newcastle Knights player and brain cancer survivor.
About 100 participants will take on the 2026 trek, leaving from the SCG on June 26 and arriving in Newcastle on June 28. Walk numbers are limited for safety's sake but everyone is invited to back Dan’s efforts by donating or following his adventures on Instagram.
