Motorbikes bound for the scrapheap and a worthy cause

When she heard about an outback adventure involving thousands of kilometres, motorbikes bound for the scrapheap and a worthy cause, NATALIE HOLMES sensed there was a good yarn in the air.

It gets bigger and bigger every year. I meet people that tell me it’s on their bucket list.” - Founder Perry Gilsenan describing the Scrapheap Adventure Ride

APHYSICAL adventure will also be an emotional journey for participants bound for the bush on an exciting outback trek later this year. The Scrapheap Adventure Ride, now its seventh year, involves teams of fearless riders jumping on their old motorbikes and riding off into the western sunset.

At the same time as seeing the countryside, they are raising money and awareness of Down syndrome NSW, the primary support organisation in this state for affected families. What is a fun-filled few days for a group of passionate enthusiasts means the world to an organisation which was established by its parent members and receives very little recognition from the community.

The money that’s raised is critical for the organisation because it doesn’t receive a lot of funding.

Event founder Perry Gilsenan is nothing short of stunned by what the ride has achieved in its relatively

short existence. In just six years, it has raised nearly $400,000, which has been poured into Down syndrome NSW without so much as a cent taken out for expenses.

For the father of two, the trip is a personal journey, as his daughter Grace has Down syndrome.

But he also sees it as a big belly laugh adventure for anyone who’s keen or crazy enough to take a motorcycle with a price tag of $1000 or less into the wide

blue yonder.

“There’s a lot of factors involved in people’s motives for doing it,” he explained. “So it’s a pretty amazing journey.”

Teams from across NSW, Qld, Victoria and South Australia will leave their respective sheds with the goal of meeting at Kallara Station, Tilpa in Far West NSW on September 30. A core group of riders will leave Sydney three days earlier with the plan of travelling 350km a day across the state, a journey of 1200km.

They will stop near Wellington on the first night and Nymagee on the second night, before arriving in Tilpa on the third day.

For many, it’s become an annual pilgrimage that they spend months planning. So far, they have travelled to places as far diverse as Kosciusko and the back o’ Bourke.

It gets bigger and bigger every year,” Perry said. “I

meet people that tell me it’s on their bucket list.” It doesn’t get much better than that. This year, Perry is hoping to get 100 riders or ‘Scrappers’ to go along on the annual trek with the aim of raising $100,000.

“There are a lot of amateurs and guys who have returned to riding. Everywhere we go, we have fun, we hear touching stories and we raise awareness of Down syndrome - from Cameron Corner to Broken Hill to Packsaddle. And it’s as much about having fun as raising money.”

Then there’s the bright idea of sending an old clunker of a motorbike out into the back of beyond where mechanic workshops are few and far between.

“The aim is to get an old junker, fix it up and ride it,” Perry explains. “It’s all part of the adventure - although sometimes the wives aren’t so happy with the parts in the shed.” “Anyone can go and buy a bike and go for a ride.” “In the same way, they build up their team and friends.”

Perry pointed out that there’s always a strong contingent of supporters along for the ride.

“A lot of people come along in the support crew. We have a lot of trailers and spare parts.”

At the ride’s conclusion, there is a celebration before riders head home to await the next event.

“At the end, I’ve got another 400 friends,” Perry says. “It’s always a huge night where you’ve never laughed so much. In every community, everyone is so supportive. They are happy to help.”

“Some groups then put their bikes on the trailer and go home whereas others make a big run of it.

As a parent, Perry believes it’s vitally important to show support of other families.

“Everyone I know that has a child see them as having a positive impact in their lives. And every parent has the same desires and fears for their child.”

Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to people with disabilities.

“The sad part is that they are beautiful children,” Perry said. “Society tells us that we don’t want to put up with a child with a disability. But I can’t imagine my world without Grace in it.”

As for the Scrapheap Adventure Ride, Perry hopes it will still be going well into the future. “They are really good events,” he said. “It’s something positive when there’s so much negative stuff in the world.”