Focus in top gear for charity outing
Sport is a big part of the Taylor family’s life and next week dad Phil will be participating in a 245-kilometre charity bike ride from Queenstown to Invercargill.
He has ridden in all nine Westpac Chopper Appeal Bike Rides since the first event was held in 2011. The Covid-19 pandemic prevented it from being staged last year.
‘‘It’s actually a community event now – people from all walks of life are involved,’’ he said.
Phil Taylor, who is Westpac’s Invercargill branch manager, played 41 games for Southland rugby team the Stags in the 1990s.
In the past five months his daughter, Kennedy, 15, has had success in athletics and triathlons, starting with wins in a road race and steeplechase, and a second in the 3km run at the national secondary schools’ athletics meet in Tauranga in December.
She has won the South Island, Southland and Wanaka triathlons for under 16-year-olds in recent months.
Her brothers, Josh and Jaxon, have also been in the spotlight for winning the South Island and New Zealand secondary schools’ triathlon titles, respectively.
Their mother, Stacey, was a good basketball player in the United States.
Phil Taylor’s training for the charity bike ride started six months ago. Despite mixed weather during the long weekend, he managed to train on the road – 55km yesterday, 40km on Sunday and 100km on Saturday.
‘‘The only reason I ride my bike is for the chopper ride.’’
He remembers borrowing a bike to be one of five participants for the inaugural ride, from Balclutha to Invercargill in 2011.
Balclutha’s Westpac bank manager at the time was keen on cycling and thought it was a good way to raise money for the rescue helicopter. The following year the event changed to Queenstown to Invercargill.
Most years between $50,000 and $60,000 is raised, but Phil Taylor reckons there could be more this year.