Perth Voice Interactive

THE chill of cancer has surrounded Jeremy Marshall for years.

His sister, now in remission, had the disease, a friend died from it in September, and it claimed his grandmother. Now Mr Marshall is hitting back, and will embark on a gruelling ride from Mundaring to Albany to raise money to fight kids’ cancer.

“Right now, cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in Australia and three children die from cancer every week,” the Mt Lawley man says. “I think when people see an ordinary person crazy enough to do something ridiculous like ride 1000km off-road, uphill, in the middle of summer, they understand there is a measure of passion there.”

To prepare, Mr Marshall rode a 690km section of the trail last January—and through 40 spider webs every hour.

“I have fitted my bike with an invention I call my ‘spidey stick’,” he says. “It’s a bendable piece of pipe I have attached to the handlebars to hold sticks I can use to swat away spider webs. Given that almost no-one else uses the trail in summer I will have a monopoly on having to clear away the spider webs.”

The 36-year-old will carry a 12kg pack while cycling along the Munda Biddi trail, the world’s longest continuous off-road cycling trail. “I will be providing daily updates over Facebook, and via the Great Cycle Challenge website,” he says.

“Particularly to provide assurance given the fires down south which have been pretty traumatic for the families and people of Northcliffe and surrounds.

“I’m not particularly worried about my safety, I will be monitoring the situation closely and be using diversions to take a wide berth around the fires.”

To sponsor Jeremy Marshall go to http://www.greatcyclechallenge.com.au/riders/jeremymarshall.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK