⚡️ Edition 7 | Me!

It’s been quiet here, my bad! Typical me really, I take on way too much and figure things out later. Although, this time I didn’t wait around to burn out, I just scaled things back a bit to focus on my YouTube and training outside of my work with Canva. I did have something I wanted to share with you all here, though.

I’ve really enjoyed writing about other people to align what they do with their higher purpose for the betterment of their community. But now it’s my turn! I wanted to tell you about this big ride that I’m doing from Sydney to Melbourne over 3 days.

Why (and How) I’m Riding 1000km in 3 Days

As a 23 year old, I spent most of my net-worth on an entry level, second-hand road bike. That’s not accounting for the £50,000 debt courtesy of the UK’s Student Loans Company, of course. Anyway, whilst I near-emptied my bank account for something seemingly trivial (whilst on the other-side of the world here in Australia), I knew two things to be true:

1. It’d be the best money I’d ever spend

2. If I did struggle financially, my parents would catch me if I fell

It’s important to recognise the financial wiggle room afforded to me in that moment. It was my ticket into sports that changed my life forever.

After 12 months of high octane hill bludgeoning, national park exploring, and mammoth solo missions, it was time to join a club. Joining a triathlon club in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney as a young, white, British male working in corporate Australia – oddly enough – wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Everyone looked pretty familiar; although, when you’re a beneficiary of privilege, it’s not an elephant in the room until it is.

The Power of Sports Clubs

Stepping into new groups, clubs, and communities, and developing a better understanding of the elite end of these sports, was where things started to click. My whole life I’ve had the perfect conditions to play near-every sport without truly appreciating it, but in cycling and triathlon, my advantage was something that I couldn’t ignore. 

There’s a distinct lack of representation in these sports and there are very practical examples everywhere – certainly in cycling – of how that plays out. Whether it’s lack of equipment or the only recent emergence of underrepresented athletes consistently winning at the highest level, it’s hard to ignore.

In Sydney, between a couple of friends, we conceived York Road Social, which is an inclusive social cycling club that’s grown exponentially over the last three years. Whilst founding the club was critical to my own personal development, stumbling upon TriMob was the more profound moment in my sporting journey.

100% First Nations Led

Readers of the Newsletter might recognise this face.

Turning up to meet Noongar and Martu man, Nat Heath, Founder of TriMob, was far more nerve-inducing than any other first session at a new club, but I had a sense that Nat was doing something that my favourite sports were desperately crying out for. He’s forging pathways of participation in swim, bike, and run for people who are severely under-represented in those sports; First Nations Peoples.

18 months later, it’s never been more clear that what Nat is doing is so much bigger than Triathlon; TriMob empowers First Nations Australians to improve their health and wellbeing. Triathlon is just the vehicle, but it’s a very apt one. Changing perceptions, overcoming systemic barriers, tackling intergenerational trauma – they’re not the kind of things you imagine a Triathlon club can move the needle on, yet Nat finds a way against all odds. 

Nat recently represented TriMob at the Ironman World Championships, crossing the line in a blistering 9:31, but I know that seeing six of his IronMob athletes complete the Port Macquarie Ironman this year was undoubtedly a prouder moment. This organisation is special, and I’m so grateful to be able to learn from the likes of Nat and other Mob about my new home. 

1000km in 3 Days

In the wake of Lachie Morton’s ride around Australia, I’ve been asking myself ‘why’ more than ever before. Why am I riding 1000km? It’d be remiss of me not to say that I’m pursuing adventure, the experience of a lifetime, and mateship – they’re the essence of life for me now. But in doing so, I get to cycle across arguably the most beautiful land in the world. 

Taking huge inspiration from Ambrose Killian’s Tour de Deadly, there’s also a deep spirit of respect and acknowledgement of First Nation’s peoples that I want to bring and talk about. Of course, I want to raise a lot of money for TriMob as well, which is where I hope you come in.

Raising $10,000 for TriMob

This is a critical time for Australia. I’m not naive enough to think that we can change the moral tide with one bike ride. But if we can get even one non-indigenous person to think about how they can learn more about the oldest living culture in the world, then this ride is worth doing. 

And with that, we needed a challenge – that truly sounded like a daft idea – to get people talking. 250km a day for some is a cycling holiday; 340km a day is a bit more sadistic. Cycling 300km is the kind of effort that might see you riding for more than 15 hours, burning up to 10,000 calories. Add in more than 5000 metres of elevation into that equation, then do it three times back to back, and you have some unforgiving riding ahead – to put it lightly!

To fuel such an effort, we’ll have a drink mix that’s high in carbohydrates and electrolytes, as well as fluid gels that are also high in carbohydrates with added caffeine (all supplied by PURE Sports Nutrition) as well as the trusty Clif Bars. That’s when we’re not scoffing meat-pies and tarts at any stop-off that’ll have us! It’d also be fair to assume that when we’re not cycling, we’ll be sleeping.

Byron, Felix & Jake in a Cultural Learning session with Nat

Beyond making sure that we are riding at least 250-300km a week in our preparation, there are obviously a hell of a lot of intricacies that we’ve had to meticulously plan.That’s all detailed on my YouTube channel! As for the fundraiser, rides and routes, as well as a Melbourne celebration, you can find those on the event page.

If you want to be a part of the journey, you absolutely can be. Simply RSVP via each of the respective events, and feel free to reach out to myself (Felix), Jake or Byron directly with any questions. Your support means so much to us!

Thanks for the support team and chuck us a response if you want to know more!x