******  Post - Ride - YIPPEE!!!!!

Hi - hope everyone is well.  Yes, the long 1100 km ride is over. We finished on Sunday 30 March at the Alfred Hospital.

I found the ride extremely enjoyable, but physically demanding.  We were clocking up about 150kms on average each day, with one day of 200 kms. Lot of cross winds to deal with, and one day of severe headwinds, but mostly the temperatures were mild, and the scenery around our picturesque little state of Victoria was a good distraction. We rode mostly on quieter secondary roads rather than the main highways, but all on bitumen. Only one broken spoke and one blown tyre for the whole trip. Riding through the Vic Alps from Bright - up and down Tawonga Gap - about a 12 km climb - and then over the summit of Falls Creek was tough work - the ride up Falls is a long and demanding 30 km climb up the mountain, and we experienced cold, very wet and foggy conditions. 

Having the opportunity to ride alongside, and learn from, a cycling legend like Phil Anderson was also a great experience, with Phil providing a wealth of cycling tips, and some memorable stories of his cycling career in Europe and, particularly, the Tour de France. Arriving back at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne with an escort from 20 members of the Victoria Police Homicide Squad was also a memorable way to finish the Tour. 

I think I ended up suffering from a bit of accumulated fatigue earlier on the Monday & Tuesday after finishing - sore and lethargic, but feeling pretty much back to normal by mid-week; however I think that my trusty bike will probably be consigned to the back corner of the shed for the next couple of weeks! 

Maarit and Zac travelled around with us for the week on the Tour. Maarit and three other transplant recipients did a number of presentations at schools and to Lions Clubs and the like, talking about organ donations and transplants, so, in addition to helping organising fund-raising dinners in Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Albury, and Traralgon - she was kept very busy over the Tour.   

Overall the Tour looks likely to raise about $250,000, which is a fantastic result and beyond all of our expectations. My contribution ending up being more than $19,000, which Maarit and I were absolutely rapt about.  The money will go to helping a lot of transplant recipients, and their families, at the time they most need it - immediately post transplant.

Again, thanks to everyone  for your support - it was really appreciated by Maarit and myself.  Hopefully we can catch up soon and we can give you the full Tour story!

Regards and love to all
James and Maarit.

 

*****Update 4 : Sunday 16 March 2014

Hello again.  Six sleeps to go and now we're looking forward to starting the Tour. 

On Friday night we had our barefoot bowls fundraising night, and, blessed with perfect evening weather, we had a great night.  Our sincere thanks goes out to all our family and friends who came along to Mitcham Bowls Club and helped us to make it a fun night and a wonderfully successful event.  To Maarit's band of helpers who provided all the assistance to organise and run everything - you know who you are - we are eternally grateful.  Our thanks also go to the Mitcham Bowls Club so supported us with the event, and, as a great community organisation, donated all of the rink fees from the night back to our Tour fundraising - fanastic gesture.

As we start next Saturday, the next update will be coming to you from somewhere on the long and winding 1100km road! My legs are starting to ache just thinking about it - but we all need challenges in our lives!!!!

Love to all

James & Maarit 

 

*****Update 3 : Sunday 2 March 2014

Hi all - hope everyone is fit and well.

So the tour starts in 3 weeks, preparation time is getting short, but our fundraising is going well thanks to all our family, friends and colleagues.  Maarit and her support team are really busy with organising our 'Barefoot Bowls Night' at Mitcham Bowling Club.  Don't forget the night - Friday evening 14 March - please let us know if you're interested in coming along and joining in the fun.  James has been riding to work and home most days, and rode down to Dromana and back yesterday, a lazy 150 km round trip, despite putting something sharp through both his tyre and tube on Springvale Road and having to walk his bike with the consequent flat tyre an extra 5 km to the nearest bike shop at Mordiallic. He still seems a bit apprehensive about the prospect of 1100kms on the bike in 8 days - not sure why!!!!!  If you haven't already, please consider assisting us with our fundraising, just click on the 'DONATE' icon on this page and follow the prompts - we will be grateful for your help - all donations over $2 are tax deductible and a receipt will be issued to you automatically as soon as you donate.  How easy is that!!                Love to all - Maarit, James, Elena, Nick and Zac.   

 

******Update 2 : Sunday 16 February 2014

Hi again.

Well about 5 weeks to go.  James's training over the past couple of weeks has been a bit sporadic between work trips to Canberra and other commitments, hopefully more opportunities for riding over the next few weeks.  Suffice to say his fitness and durability for the 1100 kms is still very much "work in progress," although there seems to be less complaining about seat soreness!  

Our fundraising is gathering pace, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of our family, friends and work colleagues for their spirit and generosity in supporting the Tour.  We are amazed that everyone we ask has no hesitation in jumping on board - huge thanks to all of you.

To assist with the fundraising, Maarit and a couple of friends are busy organising a barefoot bowls night at the Mitcham Bowls Club (Mitcham Rd in Mitcham) on Friday evening 14 March. Shoud be a lot of fun and we're looking forward to it - more details to follow shortly - but please mark the date in your diary. 

Regards

James, Maarit, Elena, Nick and Zac

 

 

******Update 1: 3 February 2014

 Hi all.

 Well with about seven weeks to go (the ride starts on 22 March), we're all getting excited; and some of us a bit nervous about the Tour.  It looks like there will be about twenty-five riders and our famous tour leader - Phil Anderson.  For those of you who don't recognise this name, Phil is an Australian cycling legend, and was the first Australian, and the first ever non-European, to wear the yellow leader's jersey in the Tour de France.

James has been trying to get some solid riding into his legs (and lose a bit of excess baggage!), and has ridden about 1,500 kms so far in training.  Not sure if he is riding any quicker but the recovery from each ride is certainly getting better, so that is something.  As more of a 'social' bike rider, he’s still a bit apprehensive about the prospect of having to ride nine days straight of 100+ kms!  

Yesterday (Sunday) there was a group ride with most of the Tour starters up Mt Dandenong lead by Phil Anderson.  It was a fun ride although hill-climbing not James’ favourite past-time. One of James’s younger brothers, Michael, is also a Tour starter (and a much better bike-rider!), and claims to have paced Phil up the mountain! 

Maarit is busy with helping the organising committee responsible for making it all happen. She is assisting with organising the local events at each of the regional centres we will be stopping at overnight on the Tour (starting in Geelong and then Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Albury, Bright, Bairnsdale, Traralgon and finishing in Melbourne).  There will be a dinner at each location and lots of activities along the route (i) to encourage awareness of the Heart and Lung Transplant Foundation, and its work supporting the families of transplant recipients, and (ii) to ensure wide publicity about the important message of everybody considering personally whether they wish to register as an organ donor, and then actually registering. This is indeed the 'gift of life' and we can vouch for its impact. Without our donor of a heart three years ago, and his/her families sacrifice, our wife, mother, and friend would not be with us today.

If you haven’t already, please take some time to consider whether you might want to donate to our fundraising effort associated with the Tour. If you feel inclined, you can donate any time up until 22 March, the ’Donate’ ink is just below on this page.

Huge thanks to all of you who have already donated, we really do appreciate it, and this is an incredibly worthy cause. 

Love to all

James, Maarit, Elena, Nick and Zac 

 

 

 

 

Hi Family and Friends,

 

As most of you will know, its now about three and a half years since Maarit has had her heart transplant (22 June 2010), and with all of the post-transplant complications (multiple rejections, pneumonia, lymphoma, chemotherapy etc.) it has only been the last twelve months or so that things are finally looking good, and we are getting back to our normal life.  For this we are eternally grateful. 

 

Of course Maarit, Elena, Nick, Zac and myself owe a huge debt of gratitude to our donor family, and to the team at the transplant clinic at the Alfred Hospital. Without these people, Maarit would not be with us today.

 

We have a fantastic Mum, a wonderful partner, and a beautiful friend, so we think its time to give something back.  We want to help all of those people who are going to go through the life-changing transplant experience in the next few years. They need and deserve our help.  The Tour de Transplant is our opportunity to give something back, and to make a difference to many people's lives. 

 

James is going to ride the Tour de Transplant, and Maarit, Elena, Nick and Zac are supporting the fundraising effort that goes with the Tour.  The fundraising is to assist to provide accommodation for the carers and families of transplant recipients immediately post transplant - the Second Chance Accommodation Program.   

 

We have created our very own fundraising appeal for the Heart and Lung Transplant Trust (Victoria) Inc., supporting its Second Chance Accommodation Program, by riding in the Tour de Transplant, a 9 day cycling challenge around Victoria, led by legend Phil Anderson. Through here you can easily support our efforts by making a secure donation. We would also really appreciate it if you could share our page above or comment below so more people know about the ride and the fundraising that is such a vital part of this effort. 

 

 

Click 'Donate Now' to make a secure online donation.

 

All donations over $2 are tax deductible and you will be issued with a DGR receipt via email as soon as you make a donation.

 

 

Thanks so much for your support! 

Of course, we appreciate all of our family, friends and anyone else who is prepared to help us to make that difference in people's lives.

 

Love to all

 

James, Maarit, Elena, Nick and Zac.