WHEN Jay Coady began planning a mammoth charity bike ride about two years ago, his family had experienced one major brush with cancer.
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However, that soon changed – and only added to his motivation for the ‘Tour de Coast’ ride.
In 2013, the Melbourne resident learnt that his brother-in-law Victor had cancer.
“He was the closest person I knew that had cancer,” Mr Coady said during a stopover in Kiama on Sunday.
“He told us he had a brain tumour just in behind his nose.
“It scared me. It shocked me that it could happen to him, as he was such a fit person.”
Mr Coady said in the two years since that it has taken him to organise his bike ride fundraiser, a close friend had also undergone breast cancer treatment, and another friend had gone through prostate cancer.
“In July last year, my wife Cheryl found out she had an ocular melanoma.
“Then two months ago, I found out my mum has got lung cancer as well.
“She’s going through chemo at the moment.”
Therefore, the Melbourne resident decided to cycle from Brisbane to Melbourne via the coast road.
The 49-year-old sales representative left Brisbane on April 1.
He is cycling to raise funds and awareness for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.
His mother and brother-in-law are being treated at the centre.
Mr Coady estimates the distance of the entire ride to be more than 2200km.
Mr Coady made a brief stopover in Kiama on the weekend, having completed approximately half the journey thus far.
“It’s something out of the ordinary that people pay attention to, and can hopefully raise more money,” he said.
“I’ve always enjoyed road or mountain bike riding, so it just seemed like a natural thing to do.
“I’ve had friends riding with me at some points as well.”
Mr Coady has already collected more than $14,000 of his $20,000 goal.
He expects to arrive in Melbourne on April 30, and is doing the ride unassisted; carrying all of his food, water, tent and cooking gear.
“Instead of it weighing about seven to eight kg, with all the gear it’s about 48kg in total,” he said.
The father of five therefore said his body was a “bit sore, but not too bad”, and his Kona Sutra 2014 touring bike had been undergoing maintenance at various points along the way.
Visit the www.tourdecoastforcancer.com website to donate.
