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Young cyclist takes on Mount Kosciuszko for cancer research

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ACRF supporter, Ben Coulter is a 19-year-old cycling enthusiast from Cairns. In October, he successfully rode solo and unsupported from Melbourne all the way to Sydney via Mount Kosciuszko to support cancer research.

“I wanted to give something back to the community and, because cancer impacts so many lives, I decided to raise funds for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

I’m very passionate about road cycling and mountain biking. I love riding because it’s such a good release. I’ve been working professionally in the biking industry for around three years now and I really enjoy it.

Over the 16-day journey, I covered around 1,700 kilometres and climbed over 24,000 vertical meters! I chose the route via Mount Kosciuszko because it was a huge challenge. It was mostly steep climbs and I thought the harder, the better, as I knew it was going to be the most rewarding for me to achieve.

In the past, I’ve completed a few other big rides including the 720 kilometre Cairns to Karumba and the 320 kilometre Cairns to Cooktown. However these rides were all supported and we rode in groups. The Sydney to Melbourne challenge was my first solo, unsupported journey and I plan on doing many more.

My favourite areas along the way were probably Corryong or Marysville in Victoria – I love the beautiful, crisp alpine environment and the scenery made for a great ride. One of the most memorable highlights from my trip included cycling the mountain ranges around the Tolmie area. It was such a great feeling making the climb to the top of the Dead Horse Gap just outside of Thredbo and cycling to the top of Mount Kosciuszko.

I would highly recommend doing a solo charity ride. If you’re thinking about taking on any charity challenge for the ACRF, my advice is to make sure you’re prepared and then give it all you’ve got! Embrace the challenge and when it gets tough, remember why you are doing it.”

Click here to support Ben.

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