By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
DESPITE being a doctor, Bryan Humphrey felt helpless as he watched his mother die of pancreatic cancer.
His mum Leah Humphrey was 84 years old but her illness and death were painful, Bryan confided.
Bryan decided to do something positive out of the sadness by embarking on a an attempt to cycle 2432 kilometres in 15 days from Adelaide to Melbourne.
There’s also a lap of Tasmania thrown in with 20,000 metres of climbing and Bryan admits he sometimes wonders what he has taken on.
“But I am hopeful that the future painful experiences of cancer will be consigned to history if we continue to support research into its prevention,” he said.
Bryan will be riding with the Smiling for Smiddy charity, established following the death of Adam Smiddy at just 26 of a melanoma.
Bryan said Smiling for Smiddy had raised over $4 million for cancer research since 2006.
His own fundraising target sits at a more modest $4000, with a dinner on 6 September expected to increase that by up to $1000.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response, we have received some really generous donations,” Bryan said.
He said his training program was going well, even though at 60 he was “considerably” older than the other riders in the group.
Bryan and his fellow cyclists will have a support crew with two vehicles as they hope to traverse 180 to 200kms a day.
Bryan will be heading through the region on 22 September doing 163kms from Laver’s Hill to Barwon Heads, followed by a182km Barwon Heads to Melbourne stretch the following day.
Donations can be made securely through everydayhero.com.au/bryan_humphrey_2/donate.
