I often get the award at the end of year presentation for the person in most need of an alarm clock, as I sleep in much more than attend training – as our group meets Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5.40am. So I can understand their shocked responses.

I signed up for the Lake Hume Cycle Challenge (LHCC), presented by the Rotary Club of Bellbridge Lake Hume, as my second cousin Colin Maginnity is the ride director. Colin inspired me to sign up as at 70 years-of-age he doesn’t miss his cycling sessions. And the community ride raises funds for the Wellness Centre within the town’s new Cancer Centre.

This year’s event is especially important to Colin as his brother died of cancer only a month before the cycling challenge.

I also thought it would motivate me to get back into bike training and stop sleeping for five more minutes then waking up at 6am to miss the rides, especially as injury has stopped me running for a few months and I’m planning to do the New York marathon.

And it worked, you might have noticed that on some Tuesdays and Thursdays at around 1pm, I started to lose the gift of logical thought and speech. I had to work hard to keep my eyes open, as fatigue set it. But on the upside I feel fitter, can ride faster and longer, recover better, sleep before 10pm, get into the office ready to go before 9am and happier to catch up with my cycling buddies.

The two rider reviver stops were like an oasis in the desert, with piles of fruit cake, muesli bars and watermelon slices, all for free. There was also plenty of support on the ride from fellow cyclists, volunteers, first aiders and marshals.

Colin asked me what was the best part of the ride: ‘definitely riding under the finish arch, knowing it was over’. Which took me four hours to accomplish.

After partaking in the free sausage sizzle, with gourmet coleslaw and gluten free bread, I immediately felt better. Having a few floats in the Murray River and a sun bake on the grassy banks in leafy Memorial Park with a brewed chai latte from adjacent cafe, was the perfect recovery.

At the post ride dinner prepared by Colin’s wife Anne, a delicious beef casserole, with home grown vegetables, freshly baked lemon meringue pie and preserved peaches, I learnt what my $60 entry fee would contribute to.

This is good value if you compare to shorter races in Sydney, such as ocean swims, which often are the same price, you only receive a price of fruit and the fees don’t always go to charity.

The major beneficiary of the approximately $20,000 raised, the ‘Wellness Centre’, will provide support services and complementary therapies, such as cancer support groups, massage and exercise therapy (yoga and tai chi), nutrition and diet advice, meditation and counselling.

These services are designed to help patients remain positive, gain a sense of control and feel supported along with practical strategies integrated with the Regional Centre’s conventional cancer care.

Chairperson of the LHCC, Stuart Lucas, said that the Albury Centre, to be opened in July this year, will be among 10 Regional Cancer Centres across the country. Funds were pledged by the Federal Government in 2009, to redress the disadvantages people in regional areas living with cancer experience, such as a shorter life and a greater chance of dying from cancer.1

From the announcement of the funding, CEO of Cancer Council Australia, Professor Ian Olver, said people in regional and rural areas generally experienced inferior cancer care outcomes compared with those in metropolitan centres and that the best way to reduce the inequity was to bring services closer to patients.2

Stuart said that often people living in the Albury region undertake more aggressive treatment as they can’t afford the time and expense of travelling to Melbourne for regular care, a factor leading to higher mortality rates. In 2008-2012, mortality rates from cancer were highest for people living in remote and very remote areas.3

Colin said that the Centre will be ‘an immense benefit to many families in our region’.

“The tyranny of long distance travel while dealing with cancer is an extra load on families trying to cope with a dire adversary.”

Thanks to the Rotary Club of Bellbridge – Lake Hume and support from Albury North, Wodonga Central and Tallangatta Rotary Clubs, the Ulysses Motor Cycle Club, the volunteers and my triathlon coach and friend Tony Golden for accompanying me on the journey.