2017 Townsville to Brisbane Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge - Day 8

Written by: Mark Sharky Smoothy

Distance: 172 kilometres

Ride time:  6 hours 32 minutes

Ave Speed:  26.4 km/h

Max Speed:  88 km/h

Elevation: 2039 metres

Min Temperature: 8C degrees

Max Temperature:  31C degrees

Stats for the 2017 Townsville to Brisbane Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge: 

Distance:1581 kilometres

Ride time: 55 hours 26 minutes

Average speed: 28.5 km/h

275,000 pedal revolutions

9650 metres climbing

9747 metres descending

57,000 calories burned

Blog Dedication

As you may or may not know, this Challenge event, my 12th, is my final one. Just prior to this year's event a very good friend of mine passed away and I wish to dedicate this blog to Dr David Sugg. A mate I knew and whose friendship I valued for 14 years.

Let’s Roll Smiddy Peloton and Head For Home!

Our 6 am roll out from Blackbutt saw us leave right on Smiddy time, 6.10 am. The honour of the final ringing of the infamous Captain Kevvy cow bell went to Linda Little of the Benarkin Lions Club. After seven days on the road the peloton quickly fell into the usual banter with regards to the antics of the previous night. The immediate descent down the Blackbutt range was long, fast, brisk, foggy and the most exhilarating start out of all our mornings on the road.

New Communities

Now the beauty of doing the ride from Townsville to Brisbane meant that we got to introduce the Smiddy family of riders and road crew, and share the Smiddy story, with three new and appreciative communities—Dingo, Munduberra and Blackbutt. A huge thank you to the Blackbutt Showgrounds and the Agricultural Show Society, managed and run by Ian Tigell and Jeanette Berry, for allowing us to take over the Showgrounds for the night. Also to Linda Little and the Benarkin Lions for hosting the riders and providing dinner and breakfast for the hungry crew. The Lions also generously donated $400 last night. Lastly, thank you to Mark and Desley Gaedtke, our Nanango hosts for 12 years now, for the beautiful afternoon tea they put on and for joining us for dinner in Blackbutt.

Guest Speakers and Blog Writers at Blackbutt

Our guest speakers last night were Melissa Speare and Mick Farrag and they shared with us their amazing Smiddy journey, which began back in 2012 for Melissa and 2013 for Mick. They've completed seven Smiddy events between them and raised many tens of thousands of dollars. Thanks guys for collating all the memories of the Smiddy Challenge event since 2006 up to the present day. The day's blog was expertly written and very funny by Allan Reilly and Ross Andrewartha which was a monumental effort after a 12 hour day on the bike! 

Smiddy Gets A Hold Of Your Heart

To finish into Brisbane today for the very first time after 11 Challenge events has been one of great excitement. For seven days we have been looking forward to seeing family and friends, and on this final day, the mixed emotions of not wanting to leave the Smiddy family of 49 riders and 16 road crew, but desperately wanting to see our families, has been messing with our heads. The bond formed between riders and road crew has been unbreakable, and for ever and a time these guys and girls are now linked intimately to the Smiddy family.

Hills and More Hills

Our course today took us up and over the Blackbutt Range, through Kilcoy and after a grueling climb up and over Mt Mee, with more than 1500 kilometres in our legs, the group enjoyed their last morning tea together at Mt Mee Lookout. From there we all enjoyed the plunge down the final big descent into Dayboro, home of the famous 2016 Australian Volunteer of the Year in Captain Kevvy. Samford was our final lunch and after eight days of being fed by our amazing road crew, I can guarantee you all the riders have arrived home healthy and a little on the heavier side. A huge thank you to all the families that traveled out to either Mt Mee, Dayboro and Samford to catch up with us prior to arriving at the University of Queensland.

Qld Police and Big Hearts

From the time we hit the Mt Mee road, off the very popular ‘Sharky Shortcut’, the Father's Day traffic was incredibly busy. If not for the support of the Queensland Police, especially our escort in Jake who joined us on day five as we came into Biloela and has been with us ever since, we would have arrived into Brisbane a good hour later. To witness their professionalism in stopping traffic and expertly and safely navigating us through had to be seen and experienced to be believed.

An Emotional Stop At Smiddy Park, Then on to UQ

We made a quick stop at Adam Smiddy park in Milton to pay our respects to Adam, where I also shared the story of how the park came to be and then onto the Coronation Road bike path to arrive safely at UQ to the massive turnout of love ones, friends and supporters. As most of you witnessed this afternoon, and what transpired out there behind the tennis courts was one very emotional scene as all the riders and road crew celebrated a most successful eight days on the road.

The Chuddle (a cross between a Huddle and a cuddle), with David Smiddy in the centre, was without a doubt one of the biggest in the history of Smiddy. The big man is loved by all and today there was enough positive energy to get our favourite man through the next 12 months.

Night Time Function

To finish the day, we came together again for one last dinner. The male riders have shed their beards and are unrecognisable while the ladies, with not a Smiddy t-shirt in sight look stunningly beautiful and relaxed. 

The only hint that these amazing people have traveled almost 1600 kilometres under their own steam is to watch them get in and out of their chairs, or to walk down anything resembling stairs. It's all done a little slower than normal, as muscles are used to churning the pedals some 40 000 revolutions per day and not accustomed to sitting in one place. 

But best of all, is that we get to share this occasion and accomplishment with all the beautiful people in the room. For without your love and support, none of us would be in a position to spend those hard, but life changing, and memorable eight days on the road. We are in awe of you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Serge Simic Guest Speaker

Serge very bravely got up and shared his heartbreaking story of losing his dear and beautiful wife Emma to melanoma earlier this year. Our hearts went out to him and we can only hope that all the love in the room that night gives him strength to keep moving forward.

Jersey Presentations

The first Spirit Jersey was awarded to Claire Schneider who accepted on behalf of all of the ride leaders, and the incredible job they do to help Pagey and Killer in getting the peloton safely home to Brisbane. First time Smiddy rider Leanne Miller was also awarded a Spirit Jersey for taking 11 years to be convinced to do the Smiddy Challenge, then turning around and expressing that she wished she had of done it sooner. Leanne was also the third highest fundraiser with more than $10,000 raised.

Road Not Kill and Stats

The final road kill tally was delivered by Ben and Jacque and this time around they decided to count live animals, which was a welcome change to the smelly dead ones. Stats was delivered by Stinky's replacement in Geoff Owen. A big thanks to you guys for stepping up and doing that for us.

Sharky Recognition

Lesley Ray and Nigel Harris run the show at Mater Foundation and they were present on the night. Unbeknownst to me, they and the Smiddy team, hatched a little plan to thank me for my contribution to cancer research over the past 12 years. A lovely speech was delivered, really scary photos of all my different hairstyles were shared with the group on the big screen, and a beautiful framed jersey presented that was signed by all the riders from this year's Challenge. A huge thank you to all involved and while not expected, it truly was appreciated.

David Smiddy

The night concluded with me asking Mr Smiddy for permission for the Smiddy name to be used for all our events next year. This is a yearly tradition, and one that I am always grateful for that the Smiddy family gives us the thumbs up each time. David concluded with a beautiful, and as always, emotional speech and the night then rocked on for those wanting to celebrate and let their hair down.

Funds raised to date from this event are $275,000. Thank you to all who helped make this happen.

I would like to leave you with a few things I am extremely grateful for, and what I'll miss and not miss about the Smiddy Challenge:  

Things I will miss

•    Number one, the camaraderie with my fellow riders that comes from enduring eight hard days in the saddle.

•    Being able to use the old recruitment strategy to my closest friends, if you do Challenge, I'll do it with you.

•    Tony Pratt for his positive affirmation each time he'd pass me in the peloton. Actually I believe he was doing this with a lot of riders.

•    Bruce Frazer and our name game each rotation.

•    To see the ride leaders in action and their selfless acts each and every day in helping to get those riders that are struggling safely home.

•    Jacque counting down the days each day and telling me that she hates me. Which meant she was having a great time!

•    Lofty and his awesome Dad jokes.

•    Hearing Liz sing.

•    Having Chris by my Syde (Chris Sydes).

•    Serge throwing kisses my way every revolution of the peloton.

•    All the pats on my bum, mostly by male riders.

•    David Smiddy paying out on me as a rider. Next year he will have to come up with new stuff when I go across to road crew duties.

•    My chats out the back with Damo and Ken, our protectors.

•    Seeing James in action. Mark Cavendish has nothing on this man.

•    Offering Paul O’Sullivan up to $3000 for his saddle as his butt was the only one not sore in the peloton.

•    Getting Geoff Owen and Graeme Christiansen mixed up when they did not have their helmets on.

•    Witnessing Pagey and Julie Andrews descending. Those girls rock!

•    Seeing our Physio and massage girls torturing the riders in Helen, Nikki and Sammi Jo.

•    Seeing David the Hillmeister in action on the climbs.

•    Riding with Copey!

•    Riding with Stinky

•    Kevvy getting angry at me at least once.

•    Our photographer in Michael Fellows popping up all over the course for eight days.

•    Sleeping with Berty! Same room…

The things I will not miss

•    The headwinds, rough roads, potholes, angry motorists, the heat, the cold and having to eat so much food over those eight days that my gums ache.

•     Youngy telling me the same stories every year from past Smiddy adventures.. 

•    Being snotted and farted on by a Smiddy rider in front of you. Accidentally, of course. Actually I think I may be one of the guilty ones. Whoops.

•    Drinking electrolyte for hydration and consuming gels. Both necessary but sickening when on them for eight days.

•    Applying chamois cream

•    My bottom resembling a cheese grater at the end of each Challenge

•    Garath today telling me the story of how he won the Mt Mee king of the mountain 17 times in 20 kilometres.

•    Dr Koala at the first school visit in Clermont telling the primary aged children eventually they will have to pay tax when they grow up.

Grateful Grateful Grateful

  

•  Marie and David Smiddy giving me permission in 2006 for that first ride, and every ride since to go ahead. Without your faith in me there would be no Smiling for Smiddy. The staff at Smiddy and Mater Foundation have now run 53 Smiddy events we are closing in on raising $9 million dollars.

•  All the people that have come into my life because of Smiling for Smiddy; riders, road crew, work colleagues, sponsors and supporters. We lost an incredible human being in Adam Smiddy but gained a movement that helps to keep my mate alive. Just think about how many people in Australia now know the Smiddy story, it must be in the ten of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.

•  It took me 11 years to convince my mate Leanne Miller to do her first Smiddy Challenge. To do my last with her in the peloton was a dream come true for me and our greatest adventure together for sure.

•  To the team at Smiddy for allowing me to do the presentation of all the special category jerseys handed out to standout individuals over the past eight nights and for allowing me to introduce the guest speakers in each Huddle. 

•  To all the 2017 riders and road crew, I am so extremely grateful to share my final Smiddy Challenge with such good people. I love you all and everything that you have done leading up to this years Challenge, during the Challenge and spreading the good word about Smiddy going forward.

•  I'm so grateful to two of my closest friends, Mick and Melissa, for the incredible support not only to me over the years, but to the cause I am so passionate about in Smiddy and Mater.

•  Smiling for Smiddy was responsible for me meeting my wife Alyssa just four years ago. I can't describe how grateful I am that she came into my life and then gave me the greatest present of all, a beautiful little girl, Estelle.

•  Lastly I just wanted to say to Jennifer Penfold that we all believe in you. This tour did not work out for you because of your health but you have been there and completed Challenge before successfully. We know next year you'll be back and fighting fit. We love you, Jen, and are all extremely proud of you.