Taking challenge to heart
Cairns to Cooktown ride sure to test young students
FOUR foreign students are taking their Far North stay to a whole new level by seeing the furthest reaches of the region by bicycle.
The group, who are spending a year here part of a Rotary exchange program, will join hundreds setting off from Cairns tomorrow on the Cairns to Cooktown Cardiac Challenge.
It will be a shock to the system for the group, most of whom have not spent too much time in the saddle.
French teenager Anthony Lebouc, who is doing Year 11 at Peace Lutheran College, said he was feeling fairly confident about the ride after completing an 84km training stint last weekend.
“I was a little bit tired but it was OK,” he said.
“It will be hard I think (but) it will be very good because of all the views and I think it is a good foundation.”
The ride is run by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation with funds used to buy state-of-the-art equipment and establish better facilities for hospitals.
Since the ride’s 2007 inception it has raised more than $1.7 million to for cardiac care in the Far North.
Cairns and Mulgrave Rotary youth exchange officer Chris Lord said this was the second time students from their program had taken part in the ride.
“Rotary is heavily involved in the Cardiac Challenge as a supporter and (avid cyclist) Peter Sexton is in the Rotary Club,” he said.
“They (the students) are really looking forward to it.”
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Health organisation Wuchopperen have also entered a team for the first time and chief executive Deb Malthouse said they were ready to roll.
“Being a part of this will hopefully encourage others to take up a healthier lifestyle and perhaps next year more community-based organisations like Wuchopperen will participate,” she said.
The downhill lane of the Kuranda Range will be closed for the ride tomorrow between
the
region’s 5.30am and 9am. Police have advised motorists and other road users who may be planning to head down the range to make alternative arrangements as the range will be closed from Kuranda to Smithfield during that period.
“Motorists who are planning to head down the Range during those hours can expect delays of up to three hours,” a police spokeswoman said.
“Alternative routes are the Gillies, Rex or Palmerston Ranges.
“We urge drivers to take extreme care whilst travelling in the right hand lane of the road, dedicated specifically.”