Bundaberg’s Colin Stollery will take part in Queensland’s biggest bike ride, Brissie to the Bay, to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
It’s the second year the father-of-two will be peddling as far as he can to raise much-needed funds.
And this time he'll have the support of one of his sons, Cooper, who will come from Sydney to ride beside him.
“Cooper and I used to ride our mountain bike on trails around Sydney,” Colin said.
“And I think he thought it would be like old times, so he enthusiastically said he’d be part of it.”
Why is it important?
The 55-year-old said he only started riding again 12 months before the last Brissie to the Bay event.
“I like the fact that this event helps sufferers of multiple sclerosis and their families,” Colin said.
“That’s often where the biggest difference can be made.
“Research is important too, but help to individuals helps a sufferer.”
MS is an incurable, chronic and complex disease, in which the person’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself, known as an autoimmune response.
Colin said a number of years ago a friend was told she had MS.
“She didn’t know how it would affect her life or that of her young daughter,” Colin said.
He felt like he could understand what they were going through with the disease.
“While I don’t suffer from MS or personally know of anyone else who does, I do suffer from an immune system issue, Hashimoto's disease, so I can relate in a minor way to MS sufferers,” Colin said.
Colin said there were almost 4000 Queenslanders living with MS.
And between one and two more are diagnosed every day.
“Their lives turned upside down as they face a range of daily challenges including problems with vision, balance, muscle control and other basic body functions,” Colin said.
“As part of the MS Brissie to the Bay Bike Ride, we are raising money for MS Queensland.
“Every dollar we raise will have an immediate impact for people living with MS.”
Your help needed
“Together, we can help fund support services including physiotherapy and exercise therapy, psychology, nursing support, to ensure no one has to face MS alone,” Colin said.
“And we can provide hope by helping to fund important research into better treatments and ultimately a cure for the disease.
“Please sponsor me today and support my ride to fight MS.”
To donate to Colin click here.
“This is Coopers first year and he is not as fit as myself, and has trained less than I trained last year,” Colin said.
If you’d like to help Cooper in his Brissie to the Bay ride to support people with MS visit here.
- Earlier this month pooches paws hit the pavement for a good cause in the Bundaberg Region's Million Paws Walk.
