Life taken far too soon
Family and friends remember fellow rider
ROSS Gordon loved his motorbike and enjoyed nothing more than being out on the open road.
But but more than anything he loved his family and friends.
The 34-year-old’s life was cut tragically short on Sunday when he crashed on a rural road near Atherton and smashed into a road sign.
Younger sister Tiarna said it had been a devastating blow to their tight-knit family and Ross’ close group of friends, several of whom had been out riding with him at the time. “We’re more numb than anything,” she said.
“You keep expecting him to walk through the front door.”
She was having a coffee with their parents on Sunday when one of Ross’ friends called and told them he had been in a crash and urged them to get to the scene on Beantree Rd as soon as possible.
It was Tiarna who arrived first and had to formally identify her brother’s body.
There was a 10-year age gap between the pair, but they became close in recent years, perpetuated by a mutual love of motorbikes.
She recalled many group rides together and how he would always stop and wait to check she was OK.
“He’s the person who got me into it. He taught me to ride,” she said.
“He really took on the big brother role, more when I needed it after I finished school, he really stepped up.”
She said Ross’ long-term partner Kumiko Odaka was heartbroken.
“She said to me ‘he was my life, we were going to have a family, we were going to get a house’,” she said.
Older sister Kali had also been a passionate rider, but had a serious crash several years ago and spent three days in intensive care. She has not ridden since.
However, Tiarna said that Ross’ crash would not stop her from getting back on the motorbike.
“When I’m riding it will be all I’m thinking about,” she said.
“But none of us would ever give up our bikes because Ross would hound us if we did.”
Friends are already planning a memorial ride next year and have set up a GoFundMe page to support the family.
They have made tribute badges, stickers and a permanent memorial to be erected at the crash site.