Yass was the respite centre for a contingent of cyclists when members of the Steer North Ride – the longest charity bike ride in the southern hemisphere – arrived on Friday, December 9.
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The ride – in which 2016 is the inaugural event – is a 4000-km cycling journey from Melbourne to Cairns that aims to inspire and empower people to live healthy and active lives. From the Victorian High Country to the tropical beaches of far North Queensland, Steer North riders embark on a 45-day adventure from December 2016 to January 2017.
The Steer North charity, which promotes physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices through cycling-based events, was founded by Rita Nehme and James Helal to honour James’ brother Mike who unfortunately passed away from a rare form of bone cancer.
“We decided to put all of our energy into something positive and brought this idea to life to honour Mike and all the people we love in our lives,” Ms Nehme said.
The 2016 Steer North Ride consists 20 riders from all over the world, including the US, Lebanon, and Columbia. The majority of riders were not cyclists or athletes to begin. However, they received training, including a leadership-development program and physical training program prior to the ride.
I’ve been cycling and fell in love with being on a bike and exploring. It’s the perfect form of transportation – it’s fast enough to get to your destination but slow enough to enjoy the surroundings.
- Rita Nehme, founder and executive director of Steer North
“They also help plan every aspect of the ride, so they get an all-round experience and have ownership of the ride. The aim is so that each rider can go and do something bigger after the event,” Ms Nehme said.
Ms Nehme said it was also an experience in the US that that made Steer North Ride come to life.
“I cycled from Texas to Alaska, about 8,000km, to raise awareness of cancer. I saw the impact that a bike ride has on the riders, the communities we ride through and the people we ride for. We’ve always wanted to do something like that in Australia.”
From that ride, Ms Nehme said she has been cycling ever since.
“I wasn’t a cyclist as well, so I trained for it. Since then, I’ve been cycling and fell in love with being on a bike and exploring. It’s the perfect form of transportation – it’s fast enough to get to your destination but slow enough to enjoy the surroundings,” she said.
Yass is one of 41 locations Steer North will have visited once they reach the finish line in Cairns. The riders stayed overnight at the Yass Community Baptist Church before continuing onto Canberra on Saturday, December 10.
Pastor Nick Barber said the church was more than willing to welcome and accommodate the charity.
“They were looking for somewhere to stay. I got a call and thought I’d like to support this community-related activity and was happy to provide accommodation. It’s our space to bless the community and those who pass through,” he said.
After Canberra, Steer North arrived in Goulburn. From there, it will be riding along the east coast all the way north.
The organisation already has plans for the 2017 ride with recruitment to begin once the 2016 ride finishes. Applications will be opened for anyone – more information will be provided as soon as available. You can follow Steer North on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
