Adam Gilchrist Challenge

The Adam Gilchrist Challenge – raising money for arthritis – was launched on Thursday, May 31, 2007. Designed for novices and the experienced alike, the Challenge is an online, simulated stock market game that trades hypothetical shares and in doing so, raises crucial funds for arthritis research. “This is a great way to support a great charity,” says Australian Test wicketkeeper and batsman, Adam Gilchrist. “And everyone wins. “It’s what I call a Trading Challenge. People register online for $49.95 and are given an imaginary pot of $50,000 to invest in the stockmarket. The person who increases the pot the most over ten weeks wins a real $50,000. There are weekly prizes and a prize for the person who most closely matches my investment performance – poor sod. And proceeds go to help people with arthritis,” says Gilchrist. “I know arthritis affects a lot of people and many of them have been in sport. If you don’t have joint problems I think it’s easy to think that arthritis is just a minor irritation in life. There is so little research done about something as common as osteoarthritis. Ian Healey has bad arthritis in his hands for instance and it’s almost universal among former football players. On a more personal note, arthritis has seriously affected my Dad. “Regardless of who wins, all participants in the Trading Challenge learn a lot about stockmarket investment and gain valuable knowledge. And of course people with arthritis benefit because of the increased research and services from the money the Trading Challenge raises for Arthritis Australia,” said Adam Gilchrist. “Arthritis is an umbrella term that relates to more than 100 conditions. People can be affected in all sorts of different ways but the most common symptoms of arthritis are pain, swelling and stiffness in one or more joints and fatigue,” explains Ainslie Cahill, CEO of Arthritis Australia. “One in six Australians has arthritis and money raised from the Adam Gilchrist Challenge will fund important research into finding a cure and/or better treatments.” This is the second year of the challenge. The cost to enter the Challenge – which will run over a ten week period – is $49.95. Participants will be given $50,000 virtual money to select and run a portfolio. Whoever increases their portfolio the most will win the main prize of $50,000. In addition there will be many other prizes. The sponsors of the Adam Gilchrist Challenge are Yahoo!7, 3 Marketstream and Sanford Securities. For more information or to register your interest, please email gilchristchallenge@arthritisaustralia.com.au