Stephen Reaburn

My cousin Peter Reaburn, whose wife Claire has been diagnosed with rare ovarian cancer, has taken on the task of fundraising for research on this form of cancer that we know very little about. My wife Shashi and I have been together 20 years and married for 14. Although we have no children of our own, we both have a desire to help our extended families where possible.

I still remember my first ever brand-new bike – a Chrome BMX for my 11th birthday back in 1984. Riding this bike all of 5km to the local BMX track a few times a week after school or on the weekends was as good as it got back then. Since then, cycling in one way or another has always been a part of my life.

These days, pushing myself to the mental and physical limits on a ride is the ultimate challenge I set myself. Whether it be a faster paced ride along a relatively flat Beach Road. Or a slower challenge of the rolling hills around the Mornington Peninsula or the Dandenong Ranges. Or even a totally random and unplanned long-distance ride.

Over the last 8 years, I have found that my best cycling is achieved where there is a goal to ride for. So when I saw Peter post about this event seeking participants, and it’s location of Bright in North Eastern Victoria, I volunteered to join in without hesitation. Our family has a long history with this region, and it has always been a personal favorite place to visit. To be able to help Peter & Claire with their fundraising efforts in this cycling Mecca was an opportunity not to be missed!

In saying all of this, I am a little nervous about the challenge that lays ahead: 5 x consecutive days of riding 100+ km per day, along some challenging terrain and steep climbs. However, as the saying goes ‘No Pain, No Gain’, I believe that what we must put ourselves through for this cause is nothing compared to the challenge that people diagnosed with any form of cancer face on a daily basis.