A ride with a message

Chief Wholesale Trading Officer of Melbourne Market’s Flavorite, Grant Nichol and his riding companion Rick have finished their 1,500 kilometre charity bicycle ride on the 12th of May that has raised $125,000 for the Pat Cronin Foundation.

Starting out on the 24th of April in Alice Springs and cycling 18 days to Darwin, it was a journey with the purpose of raising funds to support the Pat Cronin Foundation and for making the most of life.

A little over three years ago, Grant was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease – a progressive disorder that affects movement and often causes tremors and a loss of balance.

While the diagnosis wasn’t an easy one to take for the former world-class skydiver, he was still keen on pushing his abilities with this charity bike ride.

“You don’t want to sit back and think that you failed to make the most out of every opportunity,” Grant said.

The Journey Begins

With little more than their bikes, Grant and Rick took off on the 24th of April, hoping to hit their goal of raising $100,000 for the foundation. Leaving their homes behind in Melbourne, the journey that they had spent eight months preparing for had officially begun.

After arriving in Alice Springs, they assembled their 32kg steel bikes (around four times the weight of a modern carbon road bike) and made their way to a caravan park, where they started to prepare for the journey ahead.

In the morning they set off from the Anzac Memorial, Alice Springs. From there, they rode 135 kilometres north to Aileron. While it was a long first day for the both of them, they were happy to have made good distance.

After a few days of being out on the road, the pair realised that they would have to change the times they cycled. In the Northern Territory, temperatures can easily exceed 35 degrees by the afternoon. Because of this, they decided to start their journey at 5am instead.

They also realised they would have to change their diet. Riding, especially at the distances they were travelling, required them to eat more food that was high in energy. Because of this, they had to eat food that’s nutritious while also having things that were high in sugar, such as lollies, Coke, and Solo.

“I’ve never eaten so much,” Grant said.

For the first 12 days, they rode 1,200m kilometres, making sure to manage their time wisely since they had a deadline to meet in Darwin.

Challenges That Were Faced

Even with waking up early, they still experienced the intense heat of the sun. When they became hot, they would pour water over themselves to cool down.

One of the biggest challenges they faced on their journey was the relentless weather.

“The heat and strong winds against us were tough, some days it was like someone had put a handbrake on,” Grant said.

Luckily, they had the support of their skydiving friends, who travelled along with them in their van. They would meet up with the pair at 20km intervals for a 10-minute break then they’d be back on their way.

A Ride With A Message

Grant and Rick’s strategy was always to knock over the majority of the riding in the first 12 days and have time up their sleeves to ensure they would arrive on time for the finish line at Darwin High School. Both of their arrivals into Darwin coincided with the Pat Cronin Foundation giving 14 presentations at schools in the Darwin area spreading their anti-violence message.

“Education is the key to changing how young adults behave,” Grant said. “We want kids to ‘Be Wise’ and end the coward punch.”

Their journey along with the word of the foundation in the area attracted attention. Both Channel 9 and ABC News were waiting for them along with 800 cheering school is adults behave, Grant said. We want kids to ‘Be Wise’ and end the coward punch. kids, proving it to be quite a grand reception. The huge event became an extremely emotional experience with the pair seeing their loved ones for the first time since the start of their journey.

Reaching Darwin was a moment Grant would never forget.

“It was exciting, overwhelming, and very emotional reaching the finish line,” he said.

Grant and Rick raised $125,000 for the foundation, $25,000 more than expected.

While they had people they could rely on to donate, a lot of the money surprisingly came from parents who had personally lost one of their own children, or knew of someone who had been in the same situation.

“They can see that the Pat Cronin Foundation is educating kids in a way that will end the coward punch and ultimately combat violence,” Grant said.

Living Life To The Fullest

The trip was an opportunity of a lifetime for Grant to celebrate healthy living against the backdrop of illness and uncertainty.

Wanting to be a good role model for others, Grant took part in this momentous journey to support an organisation that he believes in and to prove that anything is possible if you work towards it.

Funds raised will be presented at the “Be Wise” Ball held at the Melbourne Town Hall on the 24th of June.