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PARTICIPANTS
Brenda Noonan
Really looking forward to my second long distance ride, this time through the country where I lived for the first 45 years of my life.
I'll be riding my Giant Avail bike, the same bike that I rode across Australia. It is called - "Finn" (after Finn McCool the Irish Giant).
The ride is half the distance of my ride across Australia - but we are taking half the time! It is also - way, WAY hillier, so I am picking we will be pretty fit by the end of this ride!! There is enough about me on my profile for the previous ride - I am just 18 months older - and yes - I am actually a bit wiser - biking across Australia was certainly a huge learning curve.
It was a wonderful challenge, and made me realise if we set a big goal, break it into small segments, do plenty of planning, work hard to achieve a reasonable level of fitness - then we can achieve anything. I loved every moment of that ride -well, I have forgotten about the few tough times as there were just so many great times to remember!! What a different appreciation I now have for this wonderful country, and it always gives me a sense of pride to look at a map of Australia and think - yep - I biked across there!! Now it is on to this next challenge, and to say I am really looking forward to it is an understatement! Seeing New Zealand from a bike should be fantastic!! Many things will be tougher - not only the hills, but also the weather and the winds - but they are all part of the challenge!!
I'll be riding my Giant Avail bike, the same bike that I rode across Australia. It is called - "Finn" (after Finn McCool the Irish Giant).
The ride is half the distance of my ride across Australia - but we are taking half the time! It is also - way, WAY hillier, so I am picking we will be pretty fit by the end of this ride!! There is enough about me on my profile for the previous ride - I am just 18 months older - and yes - I am actually a bit wiser - biking across Australia was certainly a huge learning curve.
It was a wonderful challenge, and made me realise if we set a big goal, break it into small segments, do plenty of planning, work hard to achieve a reasonable level of fitness - then we can achieve anything. I loved every moment of that ride -well, I have forgotten about the few tough times as there were just so many great times to remember!! What a different appreciation I now have for this wonderful country, and it always gives me a sense of pride to look at a map of Australia and think - yep - I biked across there!! Now it is on to this next challenge, and to say I am really looking forward to it is an understatement! Seeing New Zealand from a bike should be fantastic!! Many things will be tougher - not only the hills, but also the weather and the winds - but they are all part of the challenge!!
Don Bright
Married to Annie Bright for over 35 years with 3 grown sons and a Daughter-in-law. Started my involvement with road bike riding by driving a 10 ton gear truck for the first Brisbane ‘Ride to Conquer Cancer’ the weekend Annie rode in. From there I got a second hand bike for $100 odd dollars and started going out with Annie and her friends. Didn’t take long to work out I needed a slightly better bike and to spend a lot more time on the road. Now I have a nice 2nd hand road bike and go out as often as I can. Really looking forward to riding in New Zealand with the group. At this stage I believe I am the only bloke. (You sure are Don - haha!! - we will all have "responsibilities" on this trip - don't forget - you are in charge of the weather!)
Annie Bright
Grew up with family on acreage amongst dairy farms north of Melbourne. Always had ponies, lots of pets and plenty of space. Married my best friend Don at 17, 35 years ago and have 3 wonderful caring adult sons, Russell, Leigh and Andrew also a beautiful daughter in law, Nic. Other family members are Brodie the Border collie, Rusty the Long hair Chihuahua, Ginge the cat and Rocky the horse.
Most of my employment has been outdoors in various farming and nursery jobs, this is my 4th year of self employment in aquaculture – breeding tropical fish and selling wholesale to the pet industry.
I love the great outdoors and all it offers - fauna, flora, weather, seasons, landscapes, as well as the adventures it offers, camping, hiking, kayaking, horse and more recently bicycle riding. Some of the bigger adventures have been hiking the Border Track, O’Reilly’s to Binna Burra and back twice, and most of the Great Walk on the Sunshine Coast, camping at the walker’s camps. Also attempting a 2 week horse ride with pack horse on the National Trail in 2003, Don accompanying me on his bike, starting just south of Maryborough, unfortunately due to an accident this terminated abruptly after 5 days, leaving me with 3 months on the couch watching tv with a ruptured ACL.
I bought my first bike at age 45 to ride on the moors in west Yorkshire, a Marin mountain bike named Peanuts after our first pony. We spent great times riding in the UK, our first 50 mile ride on the Dales Way. In 2011 Nic and I volunteered for the clean up after the Brisbane floods, while surfing the net to find out where we were needed I discovered the Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer web site. I signed up for the challenge. Since then I’ve met dozens of lovely bike riding people and spent many hours cycling and fundraising. I completed the 200+ klm Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2011 and 2012 as well as a 5 day cycle through the Darling Downs for Children’s Cancer covering approximately 450 kilometres. Riding the length of New Zealand is to date my largest challenge.
Hobbies – horse riding, hiking, cycling and playing flute - dislikes – sitting still for too long, peanut butter and vegemite (un-Australian I know). Diet – vegetarian Beliefs – Anything is possible if you have the willingness to do it
Most of my employment has been outdoors in various farming and nursery jobs, this is my 4th year of self employment in aquaculture – breeding tropical fish and selling wholesale to the pet industry.
I love the great outdoors and all it offers - fauna, flora, weather, seasons, landscapes, as well as the adventures it offers, camping, hiking, kayaking, horse and more recently bicycle riding. Some of the bigger adventures have been hiking the Border Track, O’Reilly’s to Binna Burra and back twice, and most of the Great Walk on the Sunshine Coast, camping at the walker’s camps. Also attempting a 2 week horse ride with pack horse on the National Trail in 2003, Don accompanying me on his bike, starting just south of Maryborough, unfortunately due to an accident this terminated abruptly after 5 days, leaving me with 3 months on the couch watching tv with a ruptured ACL.
I bought my first bike at age 45 to ride on the moors in west Yorkshire, a Marin mountain bike named Peanuts after our first pony. We spent great times riding in the UK, our first 50 mile ride on the Dales Way. In 2011 Nic and I volunteered for the clean up after the Brisbane floods, while surfing the net to find out where we were needed I discovered the Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer web site. I signed up for the challenge. Since then I’ve met dozens of lovely bike riding people and spent many hours cycling and fundraising. I completed the 200+ klm Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2011 and 2012 as well as a 5 day cycle through the Darling Downs for Children’s Cancer covering approximately 450 kilometres. Riding the length of New Zealand is to date my largest challenge.
Hobbies – horse riding, hiking, cycling and playing flute - dislikes – sitting still for too long, peanut butter and vegemite (un-Australian I know). Diet – vegetarian Beliefs – Anything is possible if you have the willingness to do it
Margie Silich
Margie is, I think, the most experienced cyclist of us all - which means she will have the honour of lbeing at the front when we have head winds!! Mind you - I don't think this slightly built woman will give us a lot of cover - but be assured Margie - we will try!!!!
I actually met Margie 4 years ago when we happened to be next to each other at the start of the Brisbane to the Gold Coast 100 km ride. The news we set off with that morning was that France had knocked the All Blacks out of the World Rugby Cup!! Shock horror!! I think a bit later that morning we heard that Italy had knocked Australia out - everyone was mourning!
At that time Margie and her husband had been living in Australia, but they have since returned to their farm at Okaihau in Northland.
A very keen cyclist Margie has ridden the Kaitaia to Cape Reinga distance on several occasions, so she will be able to warn us of every hill and pothole. She's looking forward to this "leisurely" ride which will be very relaxed compared to some of the "races" she has done - 2 day Coast to Coast, 3 day Mountains to Sea, 4 days Cycle Tour of Northland and the 1 day Round Lake Taupo (160kms) and many others!
I actually met Margie 4 years ago when we happened to be next to each other at the start of the Brisbane to the Gold Coast 100 km ride. The news we set off with that morning was that France had knocked the All Blacks out of the World Rugby Cup!! Shock horror!! I think a bit later that morning we heard that Italy had knocked Australia out - everyone was mourning!
At that time Margie and her husband had been living in Australia, but they have since returned to their farm at Okaihau in Northland.
A very keen cyclist Margie has ridden the Kaitaia to Cape Reinga distance on several occasions, so she will be able to warn us of every hill and pothole. She's looking forward to this "leisurely" ride which will be very relaxed compared to some of the "races" she has done - 2 day Coast to Coast, 3 day Mountains to Sea, 4 days Cycle Tour of Northland and the 1 day Round Lake Taupo (160kms) and many others!
Pat Williams
When the idea of this trip started forming in my mind - of course the question of "support crew" had to be answered. Well, I don't think I could get Pat out of the seat of a Jucy!! She loved driving the Jucy El Grande for 6 weeks crossing Australia - nothing will stop her leaping into the drivers seat of the very smart Jucy Condo for 3 weeks to travel from Bluff to Cape Reinga!
So again - Pat puts aside her bowls for a month to accompany me on another of my crazy dreams. We may be out there doing the peddalling, but she will have more to do this time looking after 3 other riders as well as me!! No time for golf this time!!
Not that I would want her out of the drivers seat as she did an absolutely top-class job last year when I rode across Australia. Head mechanic, head cook, purchasing officer, first aid officer, fund-raising collector - you name it - she did it!! One of her key tasks is to make sure there is a nicely chilled bottle of Toi Toi Sauvignon Blanc ready for us at the end of each day!!
So again - Pat puts aside her bowls for a month to accompany me on another of my crazy dreams. We may be out there doing the peddalling, but she will have more to do this time looking after 3 other riders as well as me!! No time for golf this time!!
Not that I would want her out of the drivers seat as she did an absolutely top-class job last year when I rode across Australia. Head mechanic, head cook, purchasing officer, first aid officer, fund-raising collector - you name it - she did it!! One of her key tasks is to make sure there is a nicely chilled bottle of Toi Toi Sauvignon Blanc ready for us at the end of each day!!
Jucy Condo
And here is our "Head Office" for the trip - a fabulous Jucy Condo. This is crucial to our ride - communications headquarters, mobile food van, wine chilling department, easy to spot fund-raising point, carrier of energy drinks and bars, navigations and logistics HQ - oh and it has a DVD player as well! Seating for 5 will allow us to drive and sight see - if we still have the energy after a day in the saddle!!
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