Hanmer Events organiser, co-ordinator and brains trust and Hiking New Zealand guide Graham Frith has decided the time has come to stop dreaming about some of his long-time aspirations and start ticking a few things off his bucket list.
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| Graham Frith |
On Wednesday 29th May he got on his bicycle and set out on the long ride to Auckland to raise awareness of, and funds for, prostate cancer. He anticipates the journey will take him six weeks.
He passed through Kaikoura on the Thursday, before heading to Blenheim for Friday night and then across on the ferry to the North Island.
By the Friday morning he had already raised $470.
Mr Frith, 59, is in good health himself, but being of an age when men need to have regular health checkups, he decided this was a good subject to promote.
"It's really all about getting out there and doing it," he said. "You never know what's going to happen tomorrow.
"Prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer in men and every year 2500 new cases are diagnosed in New Zealand.
"Too many people, myself included, are guilty of wanting to do things and not getting around to doing them. Anyone who wants to ride with me is welcome, even if it's only a few hundred metres."
The chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Foundation is planning to ride some of the way with him and in Auckland he will be hooking up with Sir Peter Leitch aka The Mad Butcher and Buck Shelford who are both heavily involved with prostate awareness.
This ride is just the beginning. Mr Frith plans to ride the South Island in summer and then he's off to Australia to ride from Melbourne to Perth via the Nullabor, then to Asia and the rest of the world.
The Hanmer Springs Lions Club will be involved with the ride through Lions International and will be making contact (and maybe finding a bed) through Lions clubs along his route and on the overseas legs.
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To follow progress go to grumgoesglobal.com or Facebook Donations can be made on the road or to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
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