Gruelling 300km Ride In 3 Days For Charity …
On a wet weekend in October, the Inaugural Sisters of the Saddle (SOTS) Charity Ride braved the elements and the challenge of a gruelling 300km in 3 days to raise funds for Traction for Young People.
37 women, 3 coaches and 7 volunteers travelled from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and back, with the highlight being traversing the peaceful and picturesque Mt Tamborine. Their 9-week training program saw all riders able to crest our beautiful and challenging mountain and navigate the descent safely despite the weather preventing the much-anticipated views.
Given the rain event in region on Sunday, the SOTS pivoted for the safety of all and hosted an indoor trainer session dubbed “Ergo Disco” to round out their challenge.
With corporate support from companies including Harcourts, Rio Tinto, EDL Energy, smaller businesses such as our local Subway, along with individual donations from many, an amazing $280,000 has been raised for Traction who will use the funds to work alongside local indigenous communities to co-design and deliver their “Collaborative Communities Project”. This project aligns with Tractions holistic youth mentoring approach and culturally-safe, interconnected and sustainable initiatives to meet the unique needs of the community and its young people.
OUR CHALLENGES:
Day 1 – We rode Brisbane to Gold Coast – with the challenge being the climb up Mt Tamborine and even the descent – which given the rain was a challenge. We have a very solid training program conducted by Kirsty Broun Cycling with a focus on skills development and safety.
Day 2 – We rode from our accommodation at Royal Pines out to Currumbin Valley with a stop along the way to enjoy the scenery of Currumbin Rock Pools. The challenge of Day 2 was ascending the steep climbs of Tallebudgera Connection Road.
Day 3 – Unfortunately a significant rain event meant we were unable to ride back to Brisbane, so instead we conducted indoor disco and sprint sessions on windtrainers followed by a train ride back to Brisbane to celebrate raising $280k.
We did have support from the Subway on Mt Tamborine who donated lunch for us – so appreciative! Royal Pines were also amazing! For more info: sistersofthesaddle.com