Andrew made it riding 5,551 kilometer’s from Gungahlin to Humpty Doo in the Northern Territory as an epic journey to raise funds for Spinal Cure Australia and Hartley Lifecare.
As reported last year Andrew to take on the Spine Tingling Ride in 2017, Andrew left Canberra on Wednesday 15th March and two months later on the 15th May arrived at his desitination. He has ridden through Quorn, Oodnadatta, Stuarts Well, Alice Springs, Wycliffe Well, Katherine and he will arrive in Humpty Doo around midday on Monday 15th May.
The ride has been done on mostly dirt roads and he has seen some incredible sites whilst riding through our vast Australian outback – you can check out his FB page: https://www.facebook.com/thespinetinglingride/
In what was a very emotional moment, Andrew’s dad Lud rode the last 10km of the journey with him – on an adapted hand cycle bike. As Andrew crossed the finishing line and embraced his daughter Renee he told her he was very proud of his achievement.
In 2010 Lud Kerec went for a light ride on a Sunday afternoon as part of his final ‘wind down’ preparation for the Port Macquarie Ironman event he was going to undertake the following weekend.
He was hit by another cyclist who was on the wrong side of the cycle path around a corner and they both came off their bikes. There were no apparent physical injuries to either of them apart from a few scratches. The other cyclist got up. Lud didn’t. His helmet strap had ‘garroted’ his neck and caused a dislocation of his spine around the C5/C6 vertebrae level. His spinal cord was intact but badly bruised and he had instantly lost pretty much all function below his chest including his hands and chest muscles. While the family obviously hoped for some recovery of function in the ensuing months – none came and Lud had become, and remains, a C5/C6 quadriplegic.
Living with quadriplegia has become Lud’s new ‘normal’. Living with a quadriplegic has become his family’s new ‘normal’.
It was this experience that led to Andrew and Lud creating the ‘Spine Tingling Ride’.
HARTLEY LIFECARE
Hartley Lifecare is a unique and specialised disability service that has provided high quality residential, recreational, respite, transport and community services for children and adults with physical and complex disabilities for over 50 years. Hartley Lifecare is focused on making a difference for people living with disability, their families and carers within the ACT and surrounding region.
Hartley will be utilising funds from this inspiring event towards the renovation and rebuild of existing facilities that we own for people with disabilities with high and complex needs.
Many of our facilities are getting old and tired and these funds will greatly assist us to upgrade these houses and provide the people we support with a best practice facility and a beautiful home to live in.
SPINALCURE AUSTRALIA
An estimated 15,000 people in Australia live with a spinal cord injury, with one person on average added to this number each day.
The impact of a spinal cord injury (SCI) on someone’s life, and on their family and friends, is cataclysmic. SCI is of course much more than not being able to walk—it means a person is robbed of their independence and dignity as normal functions, such as bladder, bowel and sexual function, are no longer under the individual’s control.
‘Project Edge’ is a newly formed partnership between the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and SpinalCure Australia, with support from Spinal Cord Injuries Australia. Project Edge will see the introduction of a five-year clinical research program in neuromodulation for spinal cord injury at UTS.
Please support Andrew’s incredible efforts by visiting his website / liking the facebook page, considering the Kerec story and making a fully tax deductible pledge: http://www.thespinetinglingride.com.au
Photo thanks to KinCare
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