"Now is the time for those who can, to step up and do something."
Shane Mattiske
Five riders going the distance for brain cancer.
At 3.30am this Saturday, 23 August, five riders from the Randwick Botany Cycling Club will set off from the Sydney Opera House and ride 360km to Parliament House in Canberra to raise money for Brain Cancer Australia.
The one-day ‘House to House’ challenge is inspired by people close to the team living with brain cancer – and by the growing awareness sparked by Professor Richard Scolyer’s diagnosis.
Shane Mattiske – a keen cyclist and a long-time supporter of Brain Cancer Australia – came up with the idea to use the ride to raise funds after learning a fellow club member had been diagnosed with brain cancer.
He says now is the time for those who can, to step up and do something.
The ride is taking place in depths of winter during the wettest August ever recorded, but Shane had no trouble getting Nicholas Leach, Patrick Lin, Darrin Tucker and Joel Xuereb on board. Together they’ll take on the cold and rain, aiming to reach Canberra around 6.30pm – and hit their $25,000 target.
“It’s going to be hard,” Shane said. “But it’s nothing compared to what people with brain cancer and their families go through every day. We’ll be thinking of them when the alarm goes off, and we’ll definitely be thinking of them when we hit 300km and have the final 60km push to Parliament House.”
Shane said the ride is about more than just a test of endurance — it’s about backing a cause that urgently needs support.
“Professor Scolyer has shown the difference that’s possible when the right research infrastructure is in place — the advances in melanoma prove what can be achieved. Brain Cancer Australia is building the same national research infrastructure in brain cancer to drive the breakthroughs patients desperately need.”
One of those patients is Ross Bowles — a brain cancer advocate and another keen cyclist. Shane has been friends with Ross since he first started his brain cancer journey and joined him on a fundraising ride in 2023. “He’s an incredible cyclist and an inspiration — not just to others with brain cancer, but to any rider,” Shane said
