2016 Signature Tour
29 April to 8 May 2016 – Brisbane to Sydney
1,554km, 14,500 metres climbing, 58 hours in the saddle & almost $14k raised
Still smiling whilst climbing the Gibraltar Range!
Another epic journey undertaken and smashed. Most importantly more vital funds raised to cure cancer. Currently, Tour de Cure are sitting at $4.9 million raised for this year alone!!
A huge shout out to all involved. Every single one of you on Tour deserved every one of the six category jerseys that are given out each night. We were all Inspiring – just ask any of your family or friends. We all have a fabulous Attitudes. We all spread the cancer Awareness message. We are all obviously Doer’s, as we just completed another gruelling Tour. We all have Guts, as it is not the faint hearted who tackles and completes a Tour (and many have done it multiple times). And we all had to be Focused to get the job done, whether it be training, fund raising, motivating, nurturing, and just generally being Awesome!! Thanks to the founders – Geoff, Sam and Gary – for making it all possible.
I need to thank my amazing family and support network. I found the preparation for Tour much tougher this year as my mind was focused on family ‘stuff’. However, a big shout out to Warren who rode every big weekend ride with the training group, and quite a few of my weekday rides too. The training meant lots of time away from other important things, which I am now turning my focus back to. My support network includes each and every one of you who donated funds and came to support our Trivia night. Thank you. Be assured that your money is being used in the best possible ways to help eradicate cancer. My support network also included my TdC training buddies – Paul, Cory, Zac, Daren, Michael, Deon, Danny, Brad and David (the SEQ crew!).
On Tour I need to thank my other family – the Morris clan and Nomes. It was much more emotional for me this year, and they were there for me every day when I needed a cuddle! It was like my head was not in the right space. Thank goodness my legs and body did not fail me though!! I did have lots of issues with weakness and loss of feeling in my hands. Nothing to worry about – I only used them to change gears, steer and brake!! Something I now have to get sorted!!
We had some truly amazing days on the bike. Day 5 was touted as the most demanding with 203km, but it was one of my most memorable days on the bike! It took us from Armidale through Cathedral Rock NP, through Dorrigo and Bellingen and finally stopping in Coffs Harbour in the dark (after an unscheduled police escort in!). So spectacular.
On day 3 we climbed the 18km long Gibraltar Range. Amazing scenery and I had a special bonus that day when Warren and his Mum came and supported me the whole way up the climb (at different points). It was pretty special for Margaret who is a 20 year breast cancer survivor, to be able to experience what we do on Tour by seeing a community dinner, and seeing the morning madness and then half the days riding. Paul Egan did most of the climb with me, so that also made it extra special (he was the one who originally introduced me to TdC).
We managed to see some amazing sunrises every morning, particularly when we were on the water.
I met some more amazing people this year and again enjoyed being a part of Team Lexus.
I did the school presentation for our team at an amazing little school of 15 students – Johns River PS. This is such a fun part of Tour to present the “Be Fit, Be Healthy, Be Happy” message to school kids (and we did so to 6,500 kids whilst on this Tour!!). They treat us like rock stars! We had some special guest appearances from our very own Flipman (aka Jens Voigt in this photo!).
This is my 4th Signature Tour, and my 9th ‘Tour of Duty’ for Tour de Cure Australia. I believe in this very worthwhile charity as they have funded 242 research projects which have led to 18 actual cancer breakthroughs. That is phenomenal. On this Tour alone we funded 10 local cancer support projects along the way with $10,000 each. It is so good to hear where this money will be used in each project.
On a more personal level this Tour was dedicated not only to my amazing Dad who lost his battle to cancer in 2011, but also to another very close family member. My step brother Andrew is currently coming to grips with stage 4 bowel cancer (another reason for my emotional battles on Tour). He is 41 years old. If there were better detection methods it may have been caught earlier. He has a 3 year old son who may not remember his Dad. The thing I really HATE about cancer is how you lose control. It takes over, and you have to fight it every step of the way.
To Roberto, Giordi and Luca. I rode with your wife/Mum’s name Karen on my bike to remind me of why I do this. She lost her courageous 3 year battle to bowel cancer on 15 January 2016 aged 46. My kids are the same age as hers. Life just really sucks sometimes.
We remembered what would have been Conor McAuliffe’s 13th birthday whilst on Tour. He lost his battle at the age of 3 to a rare type of liver cancer. Lyn and Dick were on Tour in support, and have done the past 3 Tours with us in honour of their grandson. His life was stolen before it truly began.
And yet another person who is battling stage 4 cancer right now and provides so much inspiration to our whole TdC community is Shelli Whitehurst. You seriously rock. You are awesomeness personified.
I want to live in a (mostly) cancer free world. That is my goal. Tour de Cure are funding researchers who are achieving actual breakthroughs. We are spreading the cancer awareness message out to many thousands each year. We are supporting regional support projects along the way on each of our Tours. We have become a movement of small but dedicated people who are making a difference, and putting supreme efforts into achieving this.
You can continue to donate on the Tour de Cure website by searching my name. xx
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