SOMETIMES when every fibre of your body wants to stop doing something, it’s your mind that takes control and, if the motivation is important enough, you’ll just keep going.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That was the case for local identity Jason Brooks as he took part in the Steve Waugh Foundation’s (SWF) Captain’s Ride, which raised approximately $1.2 million for the charity.
The gruelling trip takes six days and covers approximately 800 kilometres, much of which is mountainous terrain, and the Scone businessman said it gives riders an insight into the hurt and angst that affected children go through every day.
He spoke candidly about the difficulty of the event and said it was one of the most testing things he’s ever done.
“If I was ever to embark on anything like that again I would probably do more than six weeks training because it was absolutely, ridiculously hard,” he said.
The riding team was full of well-known Australian identities including former AFL star Danny Frawley, Olympic hero Cathy Freeman, former Liverpool stalwart Craig Johnston, dual Brownlow medallist and Australian of the Year Adam Goodes and, of course, Waugh himself.
Incredibly, Mr Brooks was able to raise the most money, and thanked the community for rallying behind him as he produced $42,000 for SWF.
“I just want to acknowledge everyone who supported me over that time and who donated to the fundraising,” he said.
The most touching part of the journey, he added, was listening to the struggles parents of kids with rare diseases have to go through.
“The highlight for me was hearing the stories from the parents about what the foundation has done for them and how it’s improvement their lives,” Mr Brooks said.
“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when some mothers spoke.”
It was certainly an amazing experience for him, but the good he got out of it won’t in the slightest bit compare to the good the funds will do for the children.
