Stats by David 'Stinky' Colahan
Distance: 150.68 kms
Elapsed Time: 8.13
Ride time: 5.28
Ave Speed: 27.3 kph
Climbing: 548 metres
Temps: Min 12 /Max 34.
Schindler’s List by Megz Wallace & Jarrod Covey
67 Kangaroos, 34 Bags of bones, 5 birds, 3 bad smells, 1 cow.
DAY 8: CHAMPAGNE FLUTES DOWN THE CHAMPS
ELYSEES…SMIDDY STYLE
By Matt Marshall
Enriching life. Enriching lives.
Among the many themes of the 2014
Bottlemart Smiling for Smiddy Challenge – this sentiment about the Smiddy
riders and road crew enriching the lives of the local communities we pass
through delivered by pastor Donna Muston during our first community dinner in
Thangool on Day 3, and the return sentiments by Maria Smiddy that we in turn
are enriched by their generosity, hospitality and spirit, helps to sum up many
of the magical qualities of a Smiddy Challenge adventure.
As weary riders & road crew sat in the
hall of Thangool Race Club, eyeing a ‘ridonkulous’ 241km Day 4 route after
600-plus kilometres over the opening three days, we were heartened by the buzz
in the room and the hand-crafted gifts, laminated and left at every table
setting in the hall, drawn by the children of Thangool State School, willing us
on. An example was a pink and yellow drawing from Cassidy in Year 2 –
proclaiming “Exterminate Cancer”. It, and many more similar messages of
encouragement for a group travelling 1600km through heat and wind to distribute
over $300,000 to Mater Research, spent the remainder of the week in the back
jersey pocket of our riders and served as yet another reminder for us to dig
deep.
The smiles of the kids, the welcoming arms
and hearts of these communities, the anticipation and excitement of these towns
and their gratitude for the way in which we stand up to cancer are
unforgettable and often unexpected memories our riders and road crew take away
from this one-in-a-million experience. The locals take equal heart and
inspiration from our efforts – and their future generation benefit from our
presence – thanks to riders such as Iain ‘Donkey’ Cory taking the time to write
messages such as ‘Dream big and you can achieve anything’ or ‘follow your
heart’ to the primary schoolers clamming for autographs in the playgrounds at
Monto, Thangool and Emerald.
The unique, life-affirming journey that is
the Smiddy Challenge ride showed its true colours before a pedal stroke was
made this year with young Sarah Jameson – daughter of 2013 Challenge riders Kim
and Karl – handing our handmade bracelets to all the riders prior our grand
depart 8 days ago; before the lionhearted man that is Marty Hegarty spoke of
his pain at losing 9-year-old son Declan to cancer as he bravely presented a
$5,000 cheque to Smiling for Smiddy on behalf of Project Declan.
If the riders needed any extra motivation,
and they didn’t, Marty’s words gave it to them there and then. Thank you Marty.
But that was the morning of Day 1, before a kilometre had been ridden. This is
now ‘Day 9’, the morning after our 1600km journey has been completed – with the
‘Smiddy Blues’ set to kick in as riders and road crew say farewell to each
other and begin to crave again the special mateship and experience that has
been ours for the past 8 days.
For now – a recap of the final day that was
a sunny and perfect Day 8 of the 2014 Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge – before we
indulge in a top-8 highlight reel to sum up this unforgettable and
soul-enriching 8-day journey.
Day 8 dawned once again with beautiful
sunny skies as riders unzipped their swags on the green, green grass of the Charters
Towers school of the air and smelt a BBQ breakfast being prepared in their
honour. The air of excitement was electric as riders donned their lycra for the
final time this week and anticipated the much dreamed about, much craved-for
finish line at Strand Park later that afternoon –when loved ones and an intense
sense of accomplishment hard to explain to non-Challenge team members both
awaited us.
We enjoyed a hot breakfast, again kindly
cooked up by John Clarke and his dedicated team of Rotarians, and focused on
the job at hand – mindful that this is an 8-day Challenge, not a 7-day
Challenge, and that everyone in the team was hell-bent on ensuring we arrived
safe and sound to Stand Park together. And so our focuses turned to the rider
in front, and those behind us, to ensure a smooth final journey toward
Townsville.
A pressing head wind greeted us, but it
takes more than that to dampen the spirits of a Smiddy Challenge peloton, and
at morning tea – after our road crew had prepared their final feast – they
again delivered their ‘war cry’ proclaiming that Smiddy riders are the BEST. As
riders we know it is the road crew, not us, who is truly AWESOME and this 8-day
journey would not be half as rewarding if not for them and their beaming smiles
and positive attitudes throughout. To David, Maria, Bec, Kay Kay, Glen, Killer,
Marie, Terry, Sammi Jo, Vanessa, Stemmy, Mia, Kevvy, Joe and Julian – a
heartfelt thanks for everything you did for us. You guys ROCK.
To Woodstock we continued with the CWA
ladies once again turning on a spread worthy of royalty for our final lunch
together. These rural ladies sure can put on a feast, and many a rider exited
the wooden hall clutching their tummies… even without sampling the Pavlova
served up for dessert. Smiddy founder Mark ‘Sharky’ Smoothy then addressed the
riders with a heartfelt message that his mojo was back after a taxing 2013
campaign and that this was his most enjoyable Challenge ride for the past 5
years… hinting at an extra-special surprise for the riders at Strand Park. A
selection of past riders know this can mean only one thing… the third ‘chuddle’
in Smiddy history was on the cards.
The riders then put their heads down to
ensure we remained on time for our loved ones, punching out a difficult 38km
into the wind before arriving at The Sun Hotel for a team photo under the
Bottlemart drive thru. To our major sponsor Bottlemart, supporting our program
since 2007, a massive thanks. Likewise to our program’s other major partners
Professional Cleaning Services and Sealy; and our many other sponsors. It was a
buzz to see the Hahn Super Dry promotion, with $1 from every carton sold in
September donated at Smiddy courtesy of the generous support of Lion, on full
display as we made our way through the bottle-o in our cleats and made our way into
the hotel for light refreshments before our final 11km stroll down to
Townsville’s and Smiddy’s equivalent of the Champs Elysees for our grand
finish.
As we turned down the Champs Elysees… the
Townsville riders were encouraged to the front of the peloton as the roar of
our supporters grew louder and louder. In a wave of emotion and elation, we
were suddenly riding over the green grass of Strand Park amid a tunnel of
supporters bearing signs, balloons and loud cheers. We hugged and kissed each
other and our loved ones and the tears flowed. These were tears of joy, relief,
pride and many other raw emotions laid bare by a Smiddy Challenge ride. Among
them, embraces full of love and admiration for each other and moments that
define lifelong friendships. It’s hard to put into words how very special this
moment at Strand Park is. Suffice to say – it’s a feeling every member of the
2014 team deserved richly, and a feeling you’d like everyone you care about to
experience at least once in their lifetime – such is its power.
Another enormous Smiddy huddle ensued at
Strand Park, followed by the aforementioned ‘chuddle’. As David and Maria
Smiddy are the nucleus of everything we do – they embrace before being
surrounded by the riders and road crew in a huddle representative of the family
that is the 2014 Challenge crew. Among the finish line celebrations, as our
riders had their beards shaven off, another example of Smiddy spirit emerged as
Yas’s ‘Save or Shave’ fundraising idea took a dramatic twist when a $1400 donation
by fellow rider Zane saw Yas’s hair, ponytails and all, taken to with the
clippers for a crew-cut and Sinead O’Connor-lookalike makeover. Meanwhile
Matty’s hairy legs were also in the firing line with Sammi Jo applying the hot wax,
and several riders ripping off the wax strips, as another $1400 was raised for
cancer research at Mater courtesy of the riding group and the Clermont
community.
Zane, who alongside Row and Alicia shared
their own Smiddy stories at dinner, was later outbid by Jarrod in a pulsating
auction conducted by ‘first-time auctioneer’ Row for the one of a kind framed
Smiddy jersey, signed up the entire 2014 team, as it fetched a $6,100 donation.
In another shining example of Smiddy spirit – this jersey was duly gifted by
Jarrod to fellow rider Claire Bear – who completed her journey to Townsville
this year alongside her Smiddy family in a cap dedicated to her larger than
life Dad, Jeff. Claire departed our ride
from Belyando last year to be by her Dad’s bedside during the final days of his
melanoma battle but returned to complete her journey this year – with her mum
and fiancé, Andy, there to see her at the finish line alongside over 25 of the
50 riders hit hard by Claire Bear’s early exit last year – return riders and
several 2013 riders throughout the crowd. Fittingly – Claire was presented with
the ‘Spirit’ jersey as she, Jarrod and every other rider and road crew in the
2014 team, truly embody everything that is so great about Smiling for Smiddy.
With our efforts to fundraise in excess of
$300,000 and raise significant awareness for cancer research and patient care at
Mater – we are truly making a difference for future generations. That’s what
our school visits are all about. That’s what Smiddy is all about.
Tasmanian-based rider and father of four, Jason Overton, who five days earlier
shared his gut-wrenching battle with cancer and chemotherapy, was awarded the
mateship jersey. He carried his daughter in his arms to the stage and the
symbolism of what Jas had just done for his children and their future together,
was crystal clear to everyone in the room. Well done Jas.
The family values of Smiddy were again
strongly represented in the Teamwork jersey winner as Kevvy, AKA King of the
Gnomes – our trusty and long-time rear support vehicle driver, was handed this
jersey alongside Stemmy and Mia – who in addition to steering us safely to
Townsville from the front vehicle with beaming smiles, a faultless work ethic
and a camera poking out of the passenger window for much of the week, shared an
unforgettable life experience with their son, Joshua Tree, one of four riders
in the group taught by Jeff Schneider and keen to honour his memory. One final
presentation, courtesy of Maria, was made to ‘Maverick’ – the new tag for young
Jayden ‘Brick’ Swarbrick, our youngest rider who confessed he has never seen
Top Gun. He and Iceman, Dad Ian, are leading a reunion on the New Zealand
Smiddy Challenge next March with the father-son duo, David, Maria, Dr Phil, Ian
and Zane all on board and hot on the recruitment trail.
That concludes the final day of the 2014
Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge with the team settling on two well-versed words
over the past eight days to describe this life-affirming journey – CLASSY and
AWESOME. Congratulations to all on joining the Smiddy family for keeps…here are
some quick highlights:
Top 8 Highlights:
1.
Mateship. As Row Foster said in
his speech on the final night, the unbreakable friendship bonds born out of the
tragedy of Adam Smiddy’s passing stands among many of his towering legacies.
Fittingly, father and son, Ian and Jayden Swarbrick, wore the ‘Mateship’
category jersey on the final day as they completed their second successive
Challenge together. Their special bond served as inspiration and hope for all
riders – especially those in the group grieving for their Dad or son lost to
cancer. Mateship abounded in old and new friends within the group.
2. Spirit. The examples of Smiddy
spirit have been countless. Among them was Jarrod’s and Zane’s gestures,
mentioned above, and Hell raising a collection among all the riders as a
gesture of support for Mark Turner in caring for his son William. There was Joe
our awesome mechanic from AvantiPlus The Valley – sacrificing his riding time
and removing parts from his own bike to assist others. There was Terry getting
around with bottles of Coke at every stop, refilling the cups of the riders – the kind
of guy you want topping up your wine glass as it never runs dry. There was Bec
showing up just days after burying her grandfather. Zane just weeks after
farewelling his Dad. Jack getting himself on the bike every day. Hannah aiming
up and ignoring her obvious discomfort. The dual David’s ‘getting it’ and
becoming Smiddy riders. Sue Cope and Deb and Robbie Coward adding to our
experience. Paddy jumping into the van on the final day after puncturing, so as
not to hold up the group. Krista’s beautiful nature. The determination of many
of our quiet achievers – Dan, Katja, Kimmy and the David’s. Princess Fiona’s
big heart to punch on when she went into her swamp (hurt locker). Gleeso, Tom
Tom, Shrek, Paul, Booba and Co. for keeping their big chain rings on a leash to
keep the group together. Pete, Iain and Garath keeping us smiling on those
long, hard days… these are just a few.
3. Teamwork. That magical Smiddy moment
when 50 riders each shelve their individual goal to ride 1600km as their
primary focus, instead shifting it to the 49 riders around them to become
Smiddy riders not cyclists - happened very early in the trip and for 8 days we
witnessed a TEAM in every sense of the word pushing, encouraging, supporting
and willing each other through. The same comraderie was evident in the road
crew, who were seamless in getting morning tea sorted in less than 2mins after
tearing past the group 5kms out from smoko, and within the Smiddy team from
Mater.
4.
Community. Mark and Desley
Gaedtke and the showgrounds in Nanango; Lions in Eidsvold; St Therese’s in
Monto; everyone in Thangool & Biloela behind the efforts of Don and Di
Morris and ‘Bathy’; Lynlea and Ono O’Neill, Don Forbes from Village on Blain
and all our supporters in Blackwater; Jackie and John Martin, Maurie and Roger
Vine and the community of Clermont; Belyando Crossing; John Clarke and the
Rotarians from Charters and Mundingburra, cooking up a BBQ for us at Strand
Park, and of course our awesome billets for putting us up, showering,
laundering and replenishing us in mind, body and spirit.
5.
Courage. As Crackers and Claire
Bear each articulated – ‘we all have our own battles’ – and the courage to
stand tall in the face of adversity on the bike on days such as Day 4, Day 2
and Day 7 – and off the bike for 8 whole days and nights - was again evident
among the 2014 Smiddy Challenge team. Courage bears itself in many forms. There
were countless examples of physical courage from riders such as Tracey, Ness,
Yas, Geoff, Ray, Ian and Hannah. Equally were the emotional and moral courage
of riders such as Jason, Coach, Crackers, Toto, Jarrod, Garath, Zane, Claire
and Archie, who just hours after sharing his story on night 7, heard the news
his beloved aunt had passed – and such carrying a heavy heart under the
‘Teamwork’ jersey he deservedly rode into his hometown wearing on the final
day.
6.
Laughs & Tears. Flowing in
equal measures, alongside that great sense of contentment that is usual for a
Smiddy Challenge event, and captured beautifully in the slideshow at the
‘Finish Line Dinner’ which recapped our 8-day adventure. We laughed until we
cried. We cried until we laughed. Jack – tossing out any filter - had us and
the local communities in stitches on several occasions while Mel and MegZ spent
much of the entire week cackling away and Dr Phil entertained us all with lots
of pirate-themed jokes.
7.
David and Maria Smiddy. The
nucleus of the Smiling for Smiddy family and upholders of the intrinsic family
values we hold so dear. Outstanding parents & outstanding human beings –
what a wonderful example they set in their lives for Adam and Paul – and now
their grandchildren Jake and soon-to-arrive granddaughter who will be spoiled
by a Nona with the best hugs in the trans-Tasman. What a humbling experience
and honour it is for everyone within the Smiling for Smiddy community to
represent them and Adam.
8.
Smiddy family. This very
special community spirit and value set was evident among riders, road crew,
supporters & communities from Brisbane to Townsville and everywhere in
between as we were surprised with friendly faces, signs, cheers, toots of the
horn, donations and kind thank yous – including another generous gift from
Kevvy’s ‘parents’ in Dululu – and captured in the surprise slideshow our riders
enjoyed in Clermont with photos and messages of support from their children,
partners, parents and families. We are Smiddy and very proudly so.
Smiddy! Smiddy! Smiddy!
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