Taking on a Challenge
Tonight I confirmed my entry into the Terra Australis MTB Epic. For those of you not familiar with the race it is a 7 day stage race for teams of 2 or 3 held in the Victorian Alps that covers 556km and over 14000meters of ascent. Some big numbers in anyones book. My riding partner for the event is Spencer, an old mate and long time riding buddy. He was just crazy enough to say yes when I suggested we have a crack at the race and even excited about the prospect of suffering through the 7 days with me. Onya Spence!
Almost Losing a Loved One ... My Son
Now apart from the fact that I love riding my bike and relish a challenge there is an ulterior motive to my entry. I am raising money for a charity near and dear to my heart, Working Wonders. This charity is the fund raising arm of the Royal Children's Hospital here in Brisbane and does fantastic work to provide much needed funds for medical equipment and services throughout the hospital. A worthy cause you will agree. My personal connection with the charity began in 2003 when my oldest son Jack was critically ill and spent 6 weeks in intensive care at RCH. The care and attention the staff showed was touching, life changing. Ever since then I have considered ways to say thank you and earlier in the year competed in a 24 hour race and hassled my friends and family to sponsor me for my efforts. I managed to raise about $1700.
Riding For Charity and How You can Help Me
So where is this rambling leading? Well frankly, it's to you. I am hoping to raise a lot more than my $1700 of my last effort and as a community I know that mountain bike riders will appreciate the commitment in time and energy that an event like this takes. I'm not asking for money to pay for the event. Spencer and I are paying our own way for that but I have set up a page at Everyday Hero's where should you wish to offer support you can in a secure way that means all the funds go straight to the nominated charity. Don't think its just a donation scenario either. If you want to sponsor us with some provisos, feel free. It could be by the kilometer, the stage or even to the number of tyres I wear out while training. Anything really!
Follow my Journey
Theres a lot more to the back story of this race too. With that in mind I started a blog to express some of my motivations and thoughts and feelings as I go along this journey. The link is http://grahamsvariedadventures.blogspot.com/ and I will update it a minimum of twice a week. There will be links to my Garmin Connect site for the statistically minded and snippets of Jacks story through his hospital stay and subsequent treatment. The all important one is http://www.everydayhero.com.au/graham_menzies though. This where you can donate to the cause and leave a message or encouragement along the way.
Here, on MTB dirt you will be able to watch the home page and see an RSS feed from my Blog in the next day or so to keep up to date.
Already Started, Thanks for the Push
This journey has just begun and already I have a mountain of people to thank for making it possible and along the way I will endeavor to mention them all and their contributions. Right now so I can stop boring the snot out of you all I would like to just thank a couple. Firstly to Finish Line Events for allowing me to use the Terra as a fund raising option and for offering a discounted entry option to the race. Clayton has been a legend with prompt replies and the offer in the first place. Also Dean and Jaclynn Derosier. Dean and Jaclynn won an entry to the 2010 race and were unable to make the trip from the US where they live and kindly offered to sell the entry to Spencer and myself for half price. That saved us $800! Needless to say there will always be a spare steak on the barbie if they ever get back to Australia. And finally for now MA and Leangel for letting me post this up here, offering me support and encouragement and a little abuse to make me train along the way and for the other multitude of things that they have or will assist me with between now and the Terra.
I'll leave it at that for now but check out the blog, chuck a bit of cash in if you can spare it and laugh heartily at my folly the next time you see me. Cheers for reading!
