Tackling 1100 kilometres for Charity 

May 31st 2024 | Categories: Invest Blue News |

Tour de Rocks is an annual cycling event that began in 2010 when a group of nine rode between Armidale and South West Rocks (hence the name). This year 370 riders participated in the three-day, 260km event from Armidale to Woolgoolga on the Coffs Coast. They did so in the name of charity. Their wonderful fundraising efforts have added to the existing $2,200,000 that has been raised to date by Tour de Rocks participants.  

One such rider keen to play his part for cancer awareness, cure and prevention was Invest Blue’s Jeremy Gillman-Wells. Given that Jeremy’s not the type to do things by halves, he added over 800 kilometres to the existing journey by cycling to Armidale from his hometown of Canberra. Call it what you will – adventurous, madness, foolhardiness but there’s no doubt it’s an impressive feat and for all the right reasons too with Jeremy’s individual fundraising tally coming in at over $9,200.  

It’s only fair to preface the wording below by saying that Jeremy likes cycling – a lot. For him, walking feels a bit slow. And car travel? Well, you miss too much of the world travelling that way. “Jez” rides a few hundred kilometres every week. Obviously to prepare for a staggering 1100 kilometres in just eight days additional training was required? Nope. None.  

Jeremy participated in Tour de Rocks last year and as the April 2024 ride loomed, colleagues asked if he might consider, quite literally, going the extra mile.

“How about riding from Canberra to Armidale first mate?” one said in jest. The gauntlet was thrown. The challenge was accepted.  

Jeremy had completed charity bike rides before, but this one felt special. It was the first year Invest Blue were the major sponsor of the event and what better way to cross the finish line in the beachside village of Woolgoola than with several Invest Blue team members by your side.  

Here, Jeremy explains some of the challenges he encountered along the way, the importance of snakes (the lollies not the reptiles) and how he stayed motivated.  

Before making a start on the ride itself, there were logistical elements to consider, especially riding solo; mapping out the route, determining what to pack and checking available mobile phone coverage in case of emergencies (Telstra covered 96% of the journey). As an ex-military man (prior to his 23 years in the financial industry) working through these factors was in Jeremy’s wheelhouse. “There’s an old military saying – ‘time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted’ and I agree with that.” 

Being well prepared was imperative. Take for example the first two days. Over 150kms of riding per day with no available stops for food, water, coffee, loo facilities or any kind of infrastructure. Jeremy saw perhaps one or two cars a day. Wanting to avoid tar roads, Jeremy opted for gravel roads such as fire trails. “I knew it would take me through remote but beautiful countryside and that I’d see things I don’t normally see. The other parameter is that I wanted to stay in towns between Canberra and Armidale that I hadn’t stayed in before.”  

Jeremy felt confident and ready. “I knew I had to be completely self-sufficient with all the maps downloaded and everything readily available for bike repairs, medical issues etc.”  

But even the best laid plans can go awry. Like happening upon a complete dead end in the road that did not appear on the up-to-date GPS mapping or on any of the Google maps. Jez could not go through, the road was blocked and instead, he had to go around it, through the bush and over a creek. It was a bit like Going on a Bear Hunt…..all because of the Oberon Correctional Facility.  

There were other challenges. Halfway through Day 1 a gear blew out. Fortunately, Jeremy could MacGyver his way around it and the tape he applied held for all eight days of the ride. And, just as he pedalled into Tamworth, glass on a pathway popped one of his tyres. When loneliness set in on Day 4 Jeremy thought how much more enjoyable the ride would be as a shared experience (gauntlet thrown down Invest Blue team members!) 

But the charitable nature of the ride kept Jeremy focused when challenges arose and as he traversed rough terrain, climbed nastily steep hills and cycled through rain and hail. “I was constantly mindful that I was raising money for cancer awareness and prevention. I kept thinking that no matter how hard the ride was at any point, it was nothing compared to losing a loved one to cancer, facing a cancer diagnosis or going through treatment. What I had to face pedalling my bike didn’t even compare to the reason I was riding.”  

As is the case for so many of us, cancer has impacted Jeremy’s family. His mother has had cancer in three different forms including a brain tumour. Finding inspiration to press on was never difficult.  

There were beautiful moments as well (oh yes, that sugar hit and morale booster from those coloured confectionery snakes) and those occasions when Jeremy marvelled at the breathtaking scenes before him, be it brumbies cantering alongside or the colours of a sunrise.

“I loved seeing the sun burst through the morning fog causing shards of light to hit the opposing ridgeline and those amazing autumn colours of the Poplar trees. In riding along you can be so much observant of such things.”  

Rolling into Armidale was another highlight. “The Invest Blue welcoming committee felt like coming back to family. Kids of team members had made little signs that said, ‘Well done Jez, 800kms down, 300kms to go.”  

Setting off the next morning with the rest of the team in Armidale brought it all home for Jez. “It was the perfect reminder that we were striving to be the number one fundraising team. This ride reflected Invest Blue’s dedication to charity. I was thinking ‘I’m not just here to participate, I’m here to win.’” 

And thanks to contributions from supportive friends, family, colleagues and clients, Invest Blue came out on top.  

Good on you Jez. A sterling effort!  

The 2024 Tour de Rocks raised over $134,000. The Invest Blue Team were the number one fundraising team of this year’s event raising over $17,500.

For a great overview of his 1100km adventure, Jeremy’s Facebook page has daily vlogs from each of the eight days.  

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