"Now is the time for those who can, to step up and do something."
Shane Mattiske
Five riders going the distance for brain cancer.
The one-day challenge was inspired by people close to the team living with brain cancer – and by the growing awareness sparked by Professor Richard Scolyer’s diagnosis.
Shane 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 took 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.
“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 thought of them when the alarm went off, and we were definitely thinking of them when we hit 300km and had the final 60km push to Parliament House.”
Shane said the ride was about more than just a test of endurance — it was 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
