I’ve trained hard for two years. Ridden the Yorke Peninsula and the Kidman Trail through the Mount Lofty Ranges. I’ve turned 30 laps in the Snake Pit, a 400-metre obstacle course in White Hollow Reserve, Taperoo, mastering the techniques required to ride through soft sand. I’ve pushed through my mental and physical barriers, hitting 97% of my milestones. And I’m totally pumped!
Adam Burton from The Active Body Project, my trainer, reckons we’re ready to go. We’re crossing the Simpson together, so he can’t be coddling me. He needs me to be fully on my game. We head off this Friday, 19 June, and plan to be back in Adelaide by the end of the month.
We’ll follow the Madigan Line. In 1939, Cecil Madigan crossed the Simpson Desert with a team of 19 camels. Each day, he travelled 20 kilometres, setting up camp each night. These campsites are marked with plaques hung from yellow star pickets. Adam and I aim to cover 50 kilometres a day, but we’ll be camping under the stars each night, just like Madigan and his team.
The Madigan Line crosses the most remote areas in the Simpson Desert. We start at the Purni Bore, then head east towards the Birdsville Track. There are no roads, just 1,100 red sand dunes, some up to 40 metres high. We can’t ride around them, so we’ll have to ride over them. Our bikes are fitted with fat tyres; normal tyres would just sink into the sand.
Adam and I will be well supported during the ride. John Stafford from Alice Springs Expeditions is providing the logistical support we need. He’ll follow us each day, set up camp and cook for us at night, and strike camp each morning. So we can devote 100% of our energy to the ride.
We’ll need it. At night, the temperature dips to -4; during the day, it hits 30 degrees. In summer, by contrast, the thermometer can spike to 50 degrees. If you’re going to cycle across Australia’s most iconic desert, winter’s the only time to do it.
Maybe this sounds a little crazy. Maybe you’re wondering why I’m doing this. Putting my body on the line when I could be kicking back at home, sipping a coffee and gazing out across the ocean.
The answer is simple. As my closest friends know, I’ve struggled with mental health issues throughout my career. By setting myself a challenging goal, by focusing my mind and strengthening my body, I’m proving to myself that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. Which does wonders for my mental health.
I’d never planned this ride to be a fundraiser or some big media spectacle. Adam and I are doing this for ourselves. But my mate Eddie Griffith has set up a GoFundMe page to support Beyond Blue’s New Access for Small Business Owners (NASBO) program. It provides free mental health coaching for small business owners struggling with financial stress, isolation and overwhelm.
I work almost exclusively with small business clients. Each day, I see the strain they’re under. Men especially can find it hard to ask for help. I’m alive today because my best mates reached out to me when I hit rock bottom. That’s why I’m keen to back this initiative from BeyondBlue.
So I want as many of you as possible to join me on this ride. There are two ways you can do this.
- I’ll be vlogging the ride. Look for regular updates on my LinkedIn page.
- Support BeyondBlue via Eddie’s GoFundMe page. Deductions are tax-deductible, so donate now to maximise your deduction this tax year.
Small business owners carry a greater risk of suicide than many other groups, so you’ll be helping people just like you and me and Adam. Who knows? You could save someone who’s staring into the abyss right now.
I’ll see you down the road!