THE Great Cycle Challenge is gearing up for its second year.
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The initiative aims to fight children’s cancer by encouraging people to ride their bikes as a method of fundraising.
Participants create a fundraising page on the Great Cycle Challenge website, where they set a cycling and fundraising goal and log the kilometres they’ve ridden over the course of October.
The event aims to raise $1.5 million in 2014.
This year more than 5100 people have taken up the challenge.
Four of these are from Bathurst.
One of the participants is IT specialist Chris Dunstall.
Like many modern causes, Mr Dunstall heard about the Great Cycle Challenge through Facebook.
One of his friends had joined the challenge and posted about it online.
Mr Dunstall thought it “sounded like a good idea”, considering he had recently developed a passion for cycling, and he signed himself up.
“I’ve been riding seriously for the last two months and I ride a bike to work,” he said.
Some of Mr Dunstall’s relatives have died from cancer, and their stories added to the importance of the cause. The health benefits of cycling are also motivating Mr Dunstall to pedal hard for his fundraising goal.
He intends to cycle 200km throughout October and hopes his efforts will be enough to raise $500.
To achieve his distance goal, Mr Dunstall will alter his route to and from work so he accumulates 16km a day.
“I’ll probably do some bigger rides on the weekend,” he added.
Mr Dunstall hopes more people will get involved in the Great Cycle Challenge so much needed funds can be raised for cancer research.
“I would hate to think if one of my kids had to go through it that there is no solution,” he said.
The challenge begins tomorrow. To register, visit www.greatcyclechallenge.com.au.