This morning at 6:30am, 42 apprehensive and
excited riders, along with 20 sleeves-rolled-up-ready-to-hook-in road crew
members, begin the long and arduous task of riding from Townsville To
Brisbane. A 1600 kilometre journey awaits our intrepid adventurers, all done in
the name of our fallen comrade in Adam Smiddy, and along the way raising
important life-saving funds for research.
This 2019 year welcomes the 14th continuous
running of Smiling for Smiddy Challenge events. This life changing journey will
not only test the riders individual mettle to finish the task ahead, but will
introduce them to true team work, mateship and responsibilities, that only as a
team, can such an epic journey be completed. In 2006 with just 3 riders, none
of us could have completed that first event without helping one another. 14
years on and nothing has changed, sure it’s bigger now with more riders, but as
any experienced Smiddy rider will attest, its the team of individual Smiddy
riders, looking out for one another, that makes the difference in, not only
surviving the 9 days ahead, but arriving home safely into the waiting arms of
love ones back in Brisbane.
Our current crop of 9 ladies and 33 male riders
have done an amazing job with their fundraising tallies, they have all trained
hard, have all arrived to townsville in one piece, and the road crew are just
chomping at the bit to help these magnificent human machines in their 1600
kilometre quest to arrive in Brisbane on Saturday week.
The team at Smiddy and the Mater would like to
especially welcome the many first-time Smiddy riders aboard the 2019 Smiddy
freight train express to Brisbane. I’m sure already you have heard from many
past and present Smiddy riders that you are in for a life-changing experience.
Well this is true, but only later on in the journey will you truly realize it.
For some... sooner than others, but for all... it will happen. When it does, we
guarantee you will know it, and celebrate that realization. Only then will you
feel -and I mean really feel it in your heart- the warm welcoming embrace of
becoming a member of this exclusive Smiddy family.
For the road crew it’s the same. This year we
have many new faces ready to tackle the job at hand. What they are not prepared
for is the emotional journey they are about to witness. It is what makes this
event so spectacular, the human interaction, the loving and caring affection
that you will see over and over again, not just amongst the riders and road
crew, but the communities that we pass through and their incredible acts of
kindness that will just blow your mind.
As founder of this event, and I know that David
Smiddy and all the team at Smiling for Smiddy and the Mater will mirror these
words. I just wanted to finish by expressing my sincere gratitude for you
coming on board this Smiddy event. Whether it’s your first or 10th Smiddy
event, the fact that you are here is what is important. For without you guys
caring enough to look outside your own personal sporting goals, and look inside
the Smiddy and Mater cause, we would not have raised over 10 million dollars
for research since 2006.
Smiddy events, right from the start, have
attracted people, such as assembled in this room tonight, that care more of
others than themselves. So please when the going gets tough out there, and it
will, lean on your mates for support, keep digging deep into that reserve of
courage that we all possess, for it takes events like these to realize it’s in
all of us. And most of all remember the people you are going to help for years
to come. All because you had the guts to do something about it for just 9 days
of discomfort in your lives on the long arduous road to Brisbane.
Sharky
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