Ahead of us – 25,000km. Sydney to Dublin by bicycle, through 28 countries and attempting to run a 64km ultramarathon in each country we set foot in. It’s a long, long, long way to Tipperary, I think John McCormack, who penned the tune, would agree to us throwing in the few extra “longs” on this occasion.
Daithí Harrison (left) and Paddy Flynn (right) are cycling from Australia to Ireland to raise money for charity.
We started in front of Sydney’s Children’s Hospital in Randwick, one of our chosen charities. We didn’t just want to make a difference to our lives, but also to the lives of future generations. Australia has given us a lot and we wanted to give back. Therefore, we chose to raise much needed funds for Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation and Children’s Medical and Research Foundation Crumlin. Both foundations do absolutely amazing work.
Being separated from their parents and siblings at such a young age can have a huge effect on children’s development but these hospitals make the kids feel right at home. They treat every child as their own and we are extremely proud to be able to represent both.
On a bike, you hear it all, you see it all, you feel it all. We are young, we are healthy, why wouldn’t we travel this way? It is the cheapest means of travel there is, we have a tent and camping and cooking equipment with us on our bikes, our only expense is buying food.
Travelling through small rural towns in Australia was an experience. Especially through the areas they call “wheat belts”. This is land where they can grow crops, marked out by surveyors when the first European settlers landed. The biggest belt in western Australia is nearly twice the size of Ireland. The remains of all the old horse- and ox-drawn machinery of days gone by can be seen, our imagination taking over looking into fields, thousands of acres in size.
How long did it take to plant and harvest a 1,000ac field with horses? Not long ago these towns were thriving communities with populations in the hundreds. Nowadays many of them have less than 50 people living there. The innovation of the last 50 years has come at a cost. These communities are barely surviving. Throw in the drought they are experiencing at the minute and they are on their last legs.
Most shops in these towns are boarded up, no young people to be seen. Today’s world would not be like it is only for the people that did all this back-breaking work in years gone by. Our own ancestors, who lived in these communities with no electricity, sanitation or medical care, worked day and night to feed the ever expanding cities. Unsung heroes.
On 21 September, we cycled over a small hill and in front of us was the Indian Ocean. We had crossed our first country and our first continent by bike. We ran a 50-mile race in Dwellingup, south of Perth on 28 September. Australia level – complete. There were a lot of questions being asked before we left Sydney that we didn’t have the answers to. We now had some answers, there is still a lot to do but belief is at an all-time high. Next stop, Vietnam and South East Asia!
Daithí Harrison and Paddy Flynn are cycling from Australia to Ireland to raise money for charity. Visit www.2cycle28.com.
You can support Paddy and Daithí’s fundraising page here.
Ahead of us – 25,000km. Sydney to Dublin by bicycle, through 28 countries and attempting to run a 64km ultramarathon in each country we set foot in. It’s a long, long, long way to Tipperary, I think John McCormack, who penned the tune, would agree to us throwing in the few extra “longs” on this occasion.
Daithí Harrison (left) and Paddy Flynn (right) are cycling from Australia to Ireland to raise money for charity.
We started in front of Sydney’s Children’s Hospital in Randwick, one of our chosen charities. We didn’t just want to make a difference to our lives, but also to the lives of future generations. Australia has given us a lot and we wanted to give back. Therefore, we chose to raise much needed funds for Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation and Children’s Medical and Research Foundation Crumlin. Both foundations do absolutely amazing work.
Being separated from their parents and siblings at such a young age can have a huge effect on children’s development but these hospitals make the kids feel right at home. They treat every child as their own and we are extremely proud to be able to represent both.
On a bike, you hear it all, you see it all, you feel it all. We are young, we are healthy, why wouldn’t we travel this way? It is the cheapest means of travel there is, we have a tent and camping and cooking equipment with us on our bikes, our only expense is buying food.
Travelling through small rural towns in Australia was an experience. Especially through the areas they call “wheat belts”. This is land where they can grow crops, marked out by surveyors when the first European settlers landed. The biggest belt in western Australia is nearly twice the size of Ireland. The remains of all the old horse- and ox-drawn machinery of days gone by can be seen, our imagination taking over looking into fields, thousands of acres in size.
How long did it take to plant and harvest a 1,000ac field with horses? Not long ago these towns were thriving communities with populations in the hundreds. Nowadays many of them have less than 50 people living there. The innovation of the last 50 years has come at a cost. These communities are barely surviving. Throw in the drought they are experiencing at the minute and they are on their last legs.
Most shops in these towns are boarded up, no young people to be seen. Today’s world would not be like it is only for the people that did all this back-breaking work in years gone by. Our own ancestors, who lived in these communities with no electricity, sanitation or medical care, worked day and night to feed the ever expanding cities. Unsung heroes.
On 21 September, we cycled over a small hill and in front of us was the Indian Ocean. We had crossed our first country and our first continent by bike. We ran a 50-mile race in Dwellingup, south of Perth on 28 September. Australia level – complete. There were a lot of questions being asked before we left Sydney that we didn’t have the answers to. We now had some answers, there is still a lot to do but belief is at an all-time high. Next stop, Vietnam and South East Asia!
Daithí Harrison and Paddy Flynn are cycling from Australia to Ireland to raise money for charity. Visit www.2cycle28.com.
You can support Paddy and Daithí’s fundraising page here.
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