John Ansell suffers heart attack
From the St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader:
Blind faith aids recovery of cyclist
BY MONICA HEARY, 11/12/2008 2:11:00 PM
A BLIND pushbike rider who was taking part in his last fund-raising bikeathon is recovering in hospital after suffering a heart attack.
John Ansell, 66, of Jannali set off last Saturday in the rear position of a tandem bike for the Sydney to Melbourne ride. He was taking part in the annual Bike for Bibles fund-raiser run by Gymea Baptist Church.
Mr Ansell joined 41 sighted riders on the 900-kilometre effort to raise money to translate the Bible into the languages of indigenous Australians, and provide financial support for other indigenous projects.
Retired motor repair shop owner Bob Forrest came up with the idea of riders being sponsored on the journey.
”It started off with just three riders and we raised $3000 the first year,” Mr Forrest said. ”Now the idea has spread to 27 countries around the world with the Bible Society being the parent organisation.”
Mr Ansell is the only person to have taken part in all 25 rides and this year’s was to be his last.
In the lead-up to the event, he completed practice runs of 50-60 kilometres around his home and Heathcote with the help of fellow churchgoers, who took turns riding at the front of his tandem bike.
English-born Mr Ansell was 12 when he came to Australia with his family. He lost his sight in a car accident.
”I got the idea of riding a bike after reading about someone in England who was blind and rode tandem,” he said. ”When you are blind or visually impaired there’s a lot of things you can’t do, but this way you’re able to be involved in an active sport.”
A Gymea Baptist Church spokeswoman said Mr Ansell suffered a heart attack at Wagga Wagga during Tuesday afternoon’s 40C temperature.
He is recovering in Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.
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