At 71, Terry Devine doesn’t fit the stereotype of a man preparing to ride 15,000 kilometres alone on a motorbike. But on a quiet street in Carindale, the garage door is open, and Terry is going through his checklist again. He’s not nervous about the distance. He’s thinking about the people who won’t be waiting at the finish line.
Terry is setting off from Brisbane on 31 May for a two-month journey around Australia. The mission is clear: honour the five people he’s lost to cancer, such as his father and four closest mates, and raise $50,000 for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
The idea wasn’t new. Terry dreamed of a trip like this back in his 20s, even attempted it more than once. But life had other plans. Then, earlier this year, he was asked to speak at the funeral of a lifelong friend, Terry Ayers. Something shifted. The trip, once just an adventure, became something else entirely. It became a commitment to do something hard for the people who no longer could.
“The dream was brewing fermenting when I was asked to speak at my friend Terry Ayers funeral in February and that was the last catalyst, I knew I had to take on this journey for all of my mates who’ve lost their lives or been impacted by cancer,“ Terry said.
The Royal Enfield 350 sitting in his garage isn’t just a motorbike. It reminds him of his first one, with the same engine capacity and simplicity. It reminds him of the bikes his dad used to race. In a lifetime of riding superbikes, he said this one was different. “It makes me smile,” he said.
The trip will take him through remote regions from Queensland’s inland west to Darwin, across the vast stretches of Western Australia, through South Australia, into Tasmania, and up the eastern seaboard. He’s planned the route carefully, expecting everything from tropical humidity to cold Tasmanian mornings.
He’s prepared, too, by walking to stay fit, layers packed for changing weather, and the kind of mental endurance built over decades of touring. He doesn’t think about the next town or the end goal. Just the next corner, the next stretch of road.
The losses haven’t left him. He talks about his father as someone whose voice still comes through in the jokes he tells. His friends were more like brothers, whom he met in his youth and who were never far from his life. Together, they shared homes, motorbike adventures, sailing trips, and countless misadventures. Their influence shaped who he became.
This ride is for them, and for anyone else who’s lost someone to cancer. By supporting ACRF, Terry aims to help ensure that fewer families experience what he has. He’s not asking for much. Even five dollars, he said, might be the difference in pushing research one step further.
“I wanted to support a reputable charity that helps fund lifesaving cancer research. All four mates and my father passed away from cancer, more research is needed to help find new ways to prevent, detect and treat this devastating disease.”
“We don’t know each other, probably never will, but if this endeavour can give your family member, friend, neighbour, whoever, one last chance at a better outcome if their life is touched by cancer, then I’ve done what I set out to do. Mission accomplished!!”
Carly du Toit from ACRF called his mission inspiring, noting that personal stories like Terry’s help drive awareness and funding that researchers depend on to improve detection, prevention and treatment.
Terry isn’t chasing headlines. But he welcomes anyone who wants to ride a stretch with him, wave him through their town, or follow his journey on Facebook. He’s not doing this alone, not really.
“They’ll be with me along the ride,” he said, referring to his late friends and father.
He hasn’t sought sponsorship from local businesses, but the support from neighbours in Carindale has meant a lot. Many will be there to see him off. At the other end, in Raby Bay, his wife Lesley and the family of one of his friends will be waiting. That finish line — quiet, personal, and full of meaning — is what he’s riding toward.
Terry Devine hopes people don’t just see an old man on a motorbike. He hopes they see someone doing what he can, not for himself, but for others. And maybe, if they’re able, they’ll join him in giving something back.
“Grief is tough, but I personally think that the hole our loved ones’ passing causes is a vortex they leave behind as a reminder of the privilege of having known them in the first place. Think of the gaps in your life if you hadn’t ever met in the first place!!! I haven’t personally experienced cancer, so who knows until you’re in that position yourself.”
Donate to Terry’s ride here
Article sourced from Carindale News here.
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