I'm fundraising for our regional community.
Living and working in regional Australia, we know that access to emergency medical care can be very different from that in our major cities. When distance matters and every minute counts, the Northern NSW Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service is often the difference between tragedy and hope.
Across the Calrossy community, many of our students, families, staff and alumni have experienced the incredible care of the Rescue Helicopter Service firsthand. Whether responding to serious accidents, medical emergencies, neonatal transfers or search and rescue operations, this remarkable team has touched the lives of countless families throughout our region.
That's why I'm proud to be taking part in the Ride for the Chopper.
The Rescue Helicopter is a flying intensive care unit, bringing specialist doctors, critical care paramedics and lifesaving equipment directly to people when they need it most. For many regional families, it provides access to expert medical care that would otherwise be hours away.
Providing this service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year comes at a cost of around $40 million each year, ensuring the helicopters, crews and equipment are always ready to respond.
If you're able, I'd be grateful for your support. Every donation helps keep this vital service in the air, ensuring families across our regional communities continue to receive world-class emergency care, wherever and whenever it's needed.
Thank you for supporting this extraordinary service and the people whose lives it saves every day.
My Achievements
Donate to Self
Shared Fundraising Page
First Donation
First Blog or Log
Reached Fundraising Target
$100 - Helipad Hero
$250 - Lift Off Legend
$500 - Blue Sky Dreamer
$1,000 - Airborne Angel
$2,500 - High Flyer
My Updates
One Year Off the Bike… What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Tuesday 14th Jul
It's been almost a year since I last rode a bike.
So, naturally, I thought signing up for the Ride for the Chopper was a good idea.
The reality is that the first ride was a little humbling. Legs that once thought they remembered what to do quickly reminded me that memories and muscles don't always work together. Every hill seemed steeper than I remembered, and every kilometre felt just a little longer.
Fortunately, my wife, Leigh, has found the whole process highly amusing.
To her credit, she's also been incredibly supportive. While she may laugh when I finish the training walking a little differently than when I started, she's been my biggest encourager—reminding me why I'm doing this and cheering me on every step (or pedal stroke) of the way.
The more time I spend riding, the more I'm reminded why this challenge matters.
Since moving to Tamworth and becoming part of the Calrossy community, I've come to appreciate just how vast and remarkable our region is. The distances people travel, the communities that make up our corner of New South Wales, and the resilience of those who call it home are something special.
Im looking forward to riding through the landscape with the opportunity to experience it in a different way—to slow down, take it in and better understand the communities we serve every day at Calrossy.
It also reinforces just how vital the Northern NSW Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service is. For regional families, help isn't always just around the corner. When serious accidents or medical emergencies happen, the Rescue Helicopter can mean the difference between waiting and receiving specialist care when it's needed most.
Like many schools across the region, Calrossy has families, staff and alumni whose lives have been touched by this extraordinary service. That's what makes this ride so much more than a cycling event.
Every training ride reminds me that while my legs might be complaining, I'm incredibly fortunate to be able to choose this challenge. Many of the people the Rescue Helicopter helps never choose the circumstances that bring them to need it.
So, I'll keep riding.
I'll keep enjoying the scenery, appreciating the communities that make this region such a wonderful place to live, and doing my small part to support a service that is there for all of us—every hour of every day.
If you see a slightly red-faced cyclist puffing his way up a hill around Tamworth over the next few weeks, feel free to give him a wave.
It'll probably be me.
