On Aug 18th at 9pm we (Matt Young, Curtis Christopherson, and myself Richard Alm) walked into the Vancouver International Airport and left for Australia; an adventure that had evolved from a world record ride in 2007 : Team H2V – the Ride Across Canada.
As we approached the check-in desk with excitement and handed over our passports, the Air Canada representative asked us, ‘What are in these boxes?’ Without hesitation we replied, ‘Bikes…We are riding from Cairns to Melbourne in 8 days to raise awareness for Juvenile Diabetes!’
‘With your push bikes?’ she replied.
This would be the first of many questions asked to us the entire time we were on the road in Australia and we would soon find out why.
Some history…
After a promise was made from a dad to his daughter, that he would do anything in his power to find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes, a group of committed individuals came together to ride across Canada in a record breaking 8 days in 2007. We planned out a 5 man relay ride across Canada which resulted in a Guinness Book of World Record and close to a million dollars raised for Juvenile Diabetes.
One year later, after our successful 2007 Canada ride we were contacted to develop a major event for a group of friends in the US & Australia. With a second Canada relay in the planning stages, an Australian relay would be that extreme effect they were searching for.
Training protocols were to be designed in Canada and ground operations and media were controlled by our Australian teammates. With an unexpected drop in the world economy and a couple major natural disasters in Australia, our focus on raising another million dollars shifted to raising awareness and having an unbelievable journey in the process of doing so. We also sonly came to realize that with the economic shift and other personal reasons, a team that was originally comprised of 16 people soon became a team that was comprised of 5 riders and 3 support people.
Regardless, with planning, caring and focus the ride was going to happen and we would make it a successful one!
At times we seem to forget or not believe that WE CAN achieve what we aspire to. Yet, it’s only a matter of setting out the plan (setting goals), having the confidence to do it (believing), and putting in the work to make it a reality (executing the plan) ~ Curtis Christopherson
Our trip began with our flight to Sydney, where our 16hour trip was upgraded to business class – just the first sign of good luck on our trip down under!
Matt, Curtis and I took off on the 18th but arrived on the afternoon of the 20th. Jumping from Sydney to Cairns we arrived in a summer oasis even though it was their winter. A group of 3 Australians picked us up and we instantly knew it would be an interesting time when they showed up wearing all the riding gear driving the van. There was Nelson (our ground operator), Micky P (in charge of sponsorship and media), and Cameron (rider and comic relief). Our first night was spent getting to know each other and let’s just say that we enjoyed Cairns hospitality! The next morning was slower than normal, we had a morning interview with a local radio station and the rest of the day was spent preparing the vehicles, our Norco bikes and last minute details.
By this time we were getting to know the rest of the team. Steve (our 5th rider) arrived to join the group, as well did Andrew (who was in charge of filming this journey). The whole team was amazing and their general attitudes from the beginning were so solid. Generous and caring hearts mixed with an Australian personality is a winning mix.
Our daily rides commonly started off and completed with an hour group ride in and out of towns and were filled with 2hr solo shifts throughout the day. Our plans included hotels in the beginning because of permit issues with riding at night, but we soon figured out that riding at dusk until dawn is actually very dangerous. The roads are full of wildlife and trucks driving in teams to save gas (ironically bikers ride in teams to save energy)
Day1 was a ride to Townsville. It was a full day of riding through sugar cane fields and farmland. With hills in the distance one really gets the feeling of open space. The temperature was gorgeous and the rest of the scenery was breath taking. We stayed in a very cool hotel in Townsville and had a great meal down the street from our restaurant. A comical note of the evening, while we were getting ready for dinner, we were taking turns in an ice bath (this causes fresh warm blood to get in there to warm you up later and clears the lactic acid out of the muscles – a huge deal when needing to recover from physical activity) and during mid ice bath the fire alarm went off and we all piled outside wearing shorts and towels to be greeted by what seemed to be almost 100 people wearing nearly nothing…that was a funny sight for some!
Day2 was a hot ride to Mackay. The card games in the back of the RV, the hilarity of our cultures coming together while riding the east coast of Australia was proving to be noticeably the best road trip ever. The time together was spontaneous, fun and interesting. We were learning about each other and Matt, Curt and I were getting passed major information from our new friends about their land and we were all witnessing the visuals right in front of us…
Day3 was spent riding towards Rockhampton. The morning was misty and crisp. This quickly was replaced with some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the surrounding areas…we ate sugar cane standing in a field, we saw many wild animals and birds, and experienced new foods like; pies, monkey burgers and ice poles…my stomach was sore from laughing all the time!
Day4 we raced to Brisbane. This was a long day with hard riding, a stop by police and lots of photography. Everything was a treasure waiting to be seen. This day, the team was comfortable with each other spirits were total high as even the support crew (everyone) took turns riding. All the guys gave it a try and rode with us on occasion. They all looked great out there!
Day5 was a big media morning in Brisbane followed by a tricky departure of the city. The morning was difficult, but we were rewarded with some of the most amazing riding ever. What if you could ride your bike at Surfers paradise and then end up taking a quick dip at Byron bay…unbelievable. We slept in the RV just outside of Port Macquarie with our focus of getting to Sydney the following day.
Day6 was a long push into Sydney. The riding was hilly and challenging with wind in our faces. The heat was pounding down on everyone and we were all working very hard. The recovery time is important and we seemed to balance everything well. The moral was consistent and the energy stayed positive.
We arrived a sunset into Sydney and just made it to ride across the harbour bridge into the sunset with the opera house to our side. The visuals were absolutely amazing and with a quick fix of Curt’s bike en route kept the team rolling together. It was a little colder in Sydney was we were getting lower down the coast, the city seemed like home and we really enjoyed the pizza and beer we found down by the water…
Day7 started off with a media event at the opera house and an amazing ride out of Australia’s largest city. We rode through forests and along beaches…cliffs and coves…towns and estates, this ride was the greatest of all time. We rode along the sky sea bridge which hangs out over the cliffs as it curves right off the side of the mountains. Many car commercials have been filmed there because of the raw beauty and architecture.
To help us appreciate the positives there must always be a little adversity along the way. That night we hit and killed a very large kangaroo. This only enforced the decision to not ride at night and to finding the solution of doing 200km pickups from time to time to stay on track. Safety first was proving to be the best option. A very late night by all and an early start for Day8 into Melbourne. We camped along the way near Twin Rivers. There was plenty of riding to do before arriving at our finishing point. We had come so far and the entire time felt like so much longer. The long road traveled with providing us with a challenge through adversity into victory. The team dug deep to get us to our final destination…Melbourne
We arrived to a staging point where we repaired our second flat, ate some baked goods and met up with a rider for the last 30min cruise. The entire ride at times felt like home and our last moments felt like we were on Point Grey road (bigger and better maintained mind you!) the team exchanged smiles and pats on the backs. We came around the corner and were met by a party at a swim club. The last of its kind in Melbourne where there are bars in the water enclosing a shark free zone built in the early 1900s. High fives and a jump off the pier completed the ride. We did it! The final celebration began and believe me, the last 30hrs in Australia was jammed full of fun and good times…the travel home on the 31st coincidentally was about that long as well…
The teams wished each other well, friendships have been created and memories were established.
Thank you to all who made this trip possible for us. Norco for supporting us with the unbelievable bikes, Innovative Fitness for supporting us with the training & riding gear, and everyone else…your kind words, support and positive energy was appreciated. We completed what we set out to do. Raise awareness for Juvenile Diabetes and ride across a country with friends…what’s next?
Richard
Be sure to experience everything posted on our Innovative Fitness group page on www.facebook.com
2007 world record ride www.teamh2v.com
2009 Cairns to Melbourne in 8days www.cyclebetes.com.au
