Written
by Mark “Sharky” Smoothy
Final Stats
By David “Stinky Dave” Colahan
Distance:
1629.7 kilometres
Ride
Time: 80:21 hours total, 60:54 hours riding
Ave
Speed: 29.6 km/hr
Elevation:
9287 m climbed
Min
Temperature: 2C degrees
Max
Temperature: 47C degrees
Calories Burned: 47 081
Gear Changes: 10 003
The greatest achievement about the
successful running of 13 Smiling for Smiddy Challenge events is getting the
riders home safely. Our record of getting riders to the finish is impeccable.
As I stood there at Strand Park, cheering like crazy for the riders, while
dressed in a tutu, wig and fairy wings, and smiling with glee as they finished
their epic 1600 kilometre adventure, my thoughts turned to Maria Smiddy.
Maria was an intricate part of the road crew from 2008
until 2014, she was our matriarch and her hugs were treasured by all that were
gifted to receive one. Maria would often come up to me and express
her relief that all the riders were home safe and sound and she could finally
relax. Mr Smiddy will agree with me that Maria worried like an old Mother Hen.
She worried about the riders as if each and every one of them were her
children, and in a way we all are, as once you have been involved in a Smiddy
event, you are automatically initiated into the Smiddy family.
Today, after nine days on the road with these
fine human beings, who battled what Mother Nature and the tarmac threw at them
each day, I finally understood the relief that Maria felt, but I had to be on
the other side of the fence to truly understand it. Watching them finish my
heart swelled with pride and I felt tears well up in my eyes. I eagerly joined
in the hug-fest that happens immediately after finishing, when riders and road
crew alike celebrate an amazing accomplishment of teamwork.
The huddle commenced shortly after and the
many rider or road crew love ones that joined us helped to create a lovely
emotional homecoming. Christian Killeen and Krista Page were given the honour
of saying the final words for this 2018 Challenge event. They spoke beautifully
and Christian words especially touched my soul. Once the huddle finished with
the traditional Smiddy-Smiddy-Smiddy chant, I turned to Killer, hugged him hard
and told him he was a bugger for making me cry.
So that was the finish of the day but what
about the start? After a nice sleep in, Mr Smiddy sent the riders on their way
with the ringing of the final cowbell for this 2018 event. Ahead of them they
had a 145 kilometre day, and while the profile showed a mostly downhill day
there was still plenty of long slow gradual climbs to get to morning tea at 47
kilometres. It is at morning tea that road crew pull out all stops and whatever
food is leftover from the past 8 days is theirs to gorge on. The problem being
that just another 30 kilometres after morning tea is the famous Woodstock
Feast, put on by the QCWA. If a rider has not put on excess weight by this
point in time then the QCWA feast will sort that out.
I was in the luggage truck with Andy and
Berty and we drooled as we drove straight past. Our job was to drop off the
swags with Kirsteen and John Masson, where they organised a team to clean and
dry them from the heavy dew last night in Charters Towers. A huge thanks to
John and Kirsteen for doing that massive, time-consuming job.
From there we found our way to where the
riders would finish with a sea view to greet them. Over the next three hours
the huge stage that was The Strand was set up with Smiddy stuff and supporters
taking over the park. Once we knew the peloton were just two kilometres away we
assembled all the love ones and road crew to form a line either side inside the
finishers chute. We practiced the Mexican wave and we actually did a pretty
good job of it. But when it came to the riders finishing the wave was a flop but
replaced by heartfelt enthusiasm galore in cheers and clapping.
After the huddle, I sat back and took in my
first view of a Smiddy finish as a road crew member. Without the heavy weight
fatigue of a 1600km ride in my body. I was truly able to appreciate it.
The final team photo with the backdrop of the ocean, the traditional shave down
of the riders beards, the riders attacking yet more food as supplied by the
road crew and the wonderful team of the local Rotary club of Mundingburra, who
have supplied a barbecue each and every year. The tearful reunions of riders
with their love ones, and Michael, our awesome photographer, snapping away
doing what he does best and capturing some of those wonderful moments. The
incredible weather that Mother Nature put on for us at the finish, hot but
clear blue skies with a delightful sea breeze to cool those riders who didn’t
opt to follow Killer and Pagey's tradition of jumping in the ocean fully clothed in Smiddy
riding gear.
I could not have been prouder and happier
with this current crop of Smiddy riders and road crew. Not only have these
individuals raised over $200,000, but they have tamed the tarmac and
Mother Nature once again through their fortitude and perseverance to
overcome any obstacle put in their way over the past 9 days. The riders are a
tough lot and should all hold their heads high of a job well done. Words of
appreciation from me will never suffice, but within your hearts, you know deep
down, that you have done an incredibly good thing just by being part of this
event. The pain in your body and minds will quickly be forgotten, but the
memories of the good you have done will stay with you forever!
If I may could I ask any rider or road
crew member who participated in this event for the first time, a small favour?
Please spread the word about Smiddy events. To share the experience you went
through is like giving a gift of love and a life experience that will be
remembered for life. Thank you.
For me, as I step away from being a rider
to try my hand at the road crew side of things, I find myself wanting to return
next year after this year's experience. This surprised me as I honestly thought
I would not enjoy it after being a rider for the past 12 years. But that same
camaraderie and love that exists within the peloton is alive and rife with the
road crew. For me, except for the first few years, it has never been about the
challenge of completing each event, but about the people. I love witnessing and
being part of a movement that does good for those less fortunate. Smiddy people
bring out, not only the best in themselves, but the best in those people around
them. Together we create this incredible bubble of Smiddy positiveness, that if
could be bottled, could be distributed around the world to infect everyone with
goodwill towards their fellow human being.
A final thank you to the past Challenge
Smiddy riders that reside in Townsville and stepped up to either help us set up
at The Strand or just to be there to cheers the riders in. It meant a lot to
the crew at Smiddy and especially to me. I see how hard the road crew work and
for one afternoon you guys made their jobs that little bit easier. Thank you to
David Smiddy for allowing this event to continue year after year and for the
cheeky joy that your company brings to the Smiddy crew. Especially yesterday,
when you turned up before lunch to cheer on the riders when they were going
through a really tough period on a really shitty tough day. Thank you love
ones, thank you loyal sponsors of Smiddy, thank you Kevvy for always returning,
12 years now, thank you Mater Foundation for taking a gamble on us back in
2008, and finally thank you to the Smiddy staff of Brooke, Wendy, Krista and
Christian. The enthusiasm you put into running Smiddy events is what keeps the
Smiddy spirit alive.
As I step further and further back from
the organisational duties of this event year after year, I could not be more
confident that the future of Smiling for Smiddy is indeed in the very best of
hands because of your involvement.
Cheers,
Sharky
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