Love of Night Riding
Lisa and Zane met in 2007 and after a whirlwind two-year romance married on Christmas Eve in 2009.
“We love to travel, enjoy bike riding and golf. Well, I walk the course while Zane plays,” said Lisa.
Lisa has worked with Dr Peter Downie at the Monash Children’s Hospital since 2005 and Zane is a Software Engineer. Dr Downie knew Lisa liked to ride and introduced her to the Murray to Moyne.
In 2006, Lisa rode for the first time in the cycle relay. Her husband, Zane, joined her two years later. Since then, Lisa has participated in eleven events and Zane nine.
“There is no other ride like it really with the style of riding, especially the riding at night in the countryside, on a clear dry night with a sky full of stars and a near full moon,” said Lisa.
The duo struggle to pick just one year as there most memorable.
“The weather can play a huge part; there have been some years when we had to ride into a very stiff head wind, which is not much fun at all and slows the pace down considerably. A couple of years we have been lucky and had a tail wind with warm sunshine which makes it a very pleasurable ride.”
And of course, completing the 520 km relay and crossing the finish line in Port Fairy is always memorable.
“There are loads of people, including patients and their families and friends, lining the streets, clapping and cheering on the riders. It is a great feeling knowing that you have been involved in something special and raised money to hopefully, in some small way, make sick children’s lives a little bit easier,” said Lisa.
Lisa and Zane have rode in the Murray to Moyne for 20 years collectively, honing their skills and testing the limits of their capabilities, resulting in them each cycling around 330 km for a couple of years.
In preparation for the ride, Lisa and Zane, meet with the other riders for a training ride along Beach Road to Mordialloc and back home (76 km round trip) to get used to riding in a group.
Through Murray to Moyne, Lisa and Zane have met a lot of amazing people – patients and their families, hospital staff members, and “many who just want to raise money for such a great worthwhile cause by helping in any way they can.”
“The team changes every year and so, as Mary (McGowan) says, we will never ride with the exact same group again,” said Lisa.
Lisa said the most challenging thing about the event is the lead up to the ride and anticipating the unexpected.
“But you overcome these challenges by riding through them,” said Lisa.
Have Lisa and Zane inspired you to join our Murray to Moyne team? Contact us to find out more.
Read more stories from 'Behind the Spokes with the Cytotoxic Cyclists.'
