By Brett Kennedy
WORROLONG man Shane Lewis rarely requires incentives to get into gear and ride his bike around the Limestone Coast but that effort is made easier each October.
Among the top five fundraisers in Australia’s Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids’ cancer as The Border Watch went to print, Mr Lewis has raised over $18,000 and covered around 1200km in the 2020 charity event.
Mr Lewis has supported the challenge since 2013, raising funds for the Children’s Medical Research Institute to support prevention, diagnosis, treatment and finding a cure for childhood cancer.
The meaning for the challenge has evolved for Mr Lewis, who works as a student support office at McDonald Park Primary School.
Childhood cancer impacted the school in October 2015 after student Jesse Wilke was diagnosed with lymphoma, with Mr Lewis vowing to ‘ride for Jesse’ over the next few years.
Mr Lewis has dedicated his 2020 challenge to his father Noel, who sadly lost his battle with brain cancer last month.
It is these personal bonds which help Mr Lewis get back on the saddle day after day, usually waking around 4.30am to hit the road by 5am.
Hoping to surpass 1500kms before the calendar flips over to November, Mr Lewis enjoys the physical challenge the fundraiser presents.
“I’ve done over 2000km before but doing 75km a day was hard to do,” he said.
“I usually get a good couple of weeks during school holidays but it is hard when I get back to work.”
Just as he has formed a regular routine during the challenge, so to has his supporters who patiently wait for the fundraiser’s “double up day” – a select period when corporate sponsors match or boost donations.
Mr Lewis raised over $9000 on this year’s boosted day, adding a further $6000 to his overall tally.
“This is just good money for a good cause and we live in such a generous area,” he said.
The experienced campaigner was just shy of $70,000 raised across his eight-year involvement when this edition went to print.
Visit www.greatcyclechallenge.com.au/Riders/Lewy to donate to Mr Lewis’ fundraiser or search for the Mount Gambier chapter to view other Limestone Coast riders taking the challenge.
Shane’s Great Cycle Challenge history
2013 – $2229 (1502km)
2014 – $6267 (1203km)
2015 – $4235 (1047km)
2016 – $7230 (1859km)
2017 – $7270 (2170km)
2018 – $8126 (1743km)
2019 – $16,397 (1885km)
2020 – $18,076* (1153km*)
*Not finalised
