Cooma Monaro Express features Nick Corr
Cooma cyclist rides 4,100km for charity
24/09/2009 5:58:00 PM
On Sunday, 18-year-old Cooma cyclist Nick Corr completed a gruelling 4,100km team bike ride across Australia when he reached Elouera Beach Cronulla.
Nick is the youngest person to ever take part in the ‘Bike for Bibles’ event which has celebrated its 25 year anniversary this year. The eldest was event co-ordinator Jim Blaxland, who is 66
The event saw a team of cyclists leave Perth on August 17 and ride to Sydney stopping in South Australia on the way over then up through Yass and Goulburn on their way to Sydney.
Each cyclist had a fundraising target, raising money for Australian projects including the provision of chaplains for the Australian Defence Force, emergency services, prisons and hospitals.
The riders helped to raise more than $100,000 for various charities. The ride took in amazing areas including Ceduna, Streaky Bay, Port Augusta, Burra, Mildura, Young, Yass and Goulburn.
The riders stayed with locals along the way, while local churches, organised barbecues and events as the riders came through their town
Southern Gazette farewells Perth to Sydney Riders
It has taken a while to appear, but in this week’s copy of the Southern Gazette, a community newspaper has published an article on the Perth to Sydney riders. The photographer attended the send off at Ascot and took the group shot.
(click the image for a large one you can actually read)
Southern Gazette, Tuesday, September 1, 2009.
Ron Hooper heads Around the Bay for Bike for Bibles
The Preston Leader has an article March 24 highlighting this weekend’s 200 km Bike for Bibles ride Around the Bay in 2 Days, Melbourne, 28-29th March.
This year, Ron Hooper who is blind will be taking up the challenge on the rear position on a tandem bike. He is very excited about the upcoming ride and is doing a great job raising awareness about the Bible Society’s work in Tanzania. (click on the image to read a PDF scan of the article).
We also have a veteran rider – Les Stewart – joining us. He is 82 years young and encouraging many of the younger riders to go the extra mile.
Departing at 6.45am from Port Melbourne the riders will do over 100kms on their first day riding through Williamstown, Docklands, Braybrook, Altona, Werribee, Lara, stopping in Geelong for lunch along the Eastern Beachfront and then riding on to Queenscliff where they will catch the Ferry across to Sorrento. From Sorrento they will ride along the Nepean Hwy to Dromana Presbyterian Church where they will be staying the night and participating in their Sunday morning service.
Sunday mid morning the riders continue their journey along the Port Phillip Bay coastline, completing their ride at approximately 5pm on Sunday 29th March at the Port Melbourne Cricket Ground
For more information on the ride see: Around the Bay in 2 Days, Melbourne, 28-29th March.
or contact
Sarah Wilson
Bible Society Victoria
2 – 6 Albert St, Blackburn, Victoria 3130
Ph: 03 9877 9277
Email: swilson@biblevic.com.au
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.
Womens Ride featured in Central & Midlands Adocate
Ruby Carter and Tanya Chapman were featured in a recent edition of the Central & Midlands Advocate. The article mentions the recent womens ride and also featured a nice plug for next years 2009 Perth to Sydney ride.
Ruby was actually part of the Perth to Hobart ride 5 years ago, not 8 as the article suggests.
2/10/2008 5:51:00 PM
TWO Moora women cycled from York to Perth over two days recently to raise money for literacy work around the world.
Bike for Bibles is an annual ride which Ruby Carter has been doing for eight years.
This year she was joined by fellow cycling enthusiast Tanya Chapman and two other women from Perth on the 90km ride.
Eight years ago Mrs Carter made the cycle from Perth to Hobart and four years ago cycled to Adelaide for the fundraiser.
Next August Mrs Carter will be joined by her husband Lyall and friends Luke Humphries, Chris Porter and Ms Chapman when they will ride from Perth to Sydney.
Bike for Bibles supports literacy work around the world, with New Reader Scripture Booklets being distributed to help people learn how to read in their own language, while learning about the Gospel.
Mr and Mrs Carter and a number of community members from all walks of life meet every Saturday morning at 8.30am at the Moora Telecentre and go for a cycle.
The cycle can be as fast or as relaxed as the individual requires and the group accommodates all fitness levels.
Mrs Carter encourages all community members to come for a ride with no on-going commitment required.
Albany Ride in The Advocate
Just a quick update on the Bike for Bibles Perth to Albany ride.
The October 2008 Edition of The Advocate is featuring a similar article to Churchtoday. The back page Advocate article also mentions that Geff Gomez, David Kingston and Alec House are joining the ride.
On Monday Geff and I rode the first section of day 1 up Brookton Highway from Armadale to Karagullen. It is a lovely bit of road that goes up for a few k’s.
Looking forward to the full ride !
On air with Rodney Olsen at Sonshine FM
One of the great things about Bike for Bibles is the extensive network of the friends of Bike for Bibles. BFB has a lot of goodwill out there – one reason for this is that those who take part in a ride all have such a great time.
This morning I visited Rodney Olsen who was doing his morning show at Sonshine FM. Rodney was the WA Bike for Bibles coordinator for 5 years and is a veteran of 5 cross Australia rides as well as several Bike for Bibles rides overseas. We rode together in 2003 on the Perth to Hobart Ride.
The purpose of today’s visit was to promote the upcoming Perth to Albany ride and Bike for Bibles in W.A. in general.
Perth is a big city that has a small feel. My own personal theory is that organisations like Sonshine FM help foster a feeling of community that make living in a city enjoyable. Thanks Rodney and Sonshine FM for continuing to support Bike for Bibles.
Click the play button below to see what we had to say.
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Albany Ride featured in Church Today
Our church newspaper, Churchtoday features my smiling mug on the front banner and an article about the upcoming Perth to Albany Bike for Bibles ride.
You can read the full edition here: Churchtoday October 2008 or click on the thumbnail image below for a screen grab of just page 4.
Keep an eye out for an article in the next edition of The Advocate as well.
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