- Louise Ginn, 55, from Lake Macquarie, NSW cycled a 4200km route from Perth to Sydney on a rare quad-tandem bike named Ruby
- The mission was to support mental health charity Gotcha4Life
- Their six-week journey raised an incredible $111,568
Here she shares her story in her own words.
Peering out at the deep blue ocean, I pedalled as the wind whipped my face.
We live in such a beautiful country, I beamed.
It was September this year, and together with my friends, Sonia, 54, Rachel, 33, and Anna, 31, I was cycling over 4000 kilometres from Perth to Sydney, to raise funds for mental health foundation Gotcha4Life.
But instead of riding individual bicycles, we were travelling on a bright red quad tandem bike we’d named Ruby.
Today we were passing through Ceduna in SA, seeing beautiful whales on our journey through the coastal town.
An avid cycler, I’d spent much of my adult life on two wheels, riding epic mountain trails in NSW.
When I met my hubby Paul, then 18, in 1989, I was thrilled he shared the same love for the outdoors.
‘Our favourite memories were made on our bikes.’
Soon after, I became a PE teacher, showing kids how to play sports and stay healthy.
And after we married and welcomed our four sons, Jonathon, Nathaniel, Kaleb and Matthew, some of our favourite family memories were made on our bikes.
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In 2015, aged 45, I started up fundraiser Ride4Rescue, and my son Nathaniel, then 16, and I rode 1000km from Sydney to Mount Kosciuszko, then finished at Wollongong Lighthouse.
In 10 days on a tandem bike we raised money for the Blossom Project, a charity supporting women in Vanuatu.
Then in 2021, I did a ride twice as long, from Ballarat to Uluru, with my son Matthew, then 15, raising around $40k for CareFlight.
Afterwards, I was eager to continue raising money for charities through cycling.
In April 2022, my friend Sonia offered to come with me.
‘We could ride from Perth to Sydney,’ she said, suggesting we raise funds for Gotcha4Life, who develop programs to teach people the importance of looking after their mental fitness.
‘It was a cause close to my heart.’
Having had loved ones struggle with their mental health, it was a cause close to my heart.
As word spread about our idea, two more friends, sisters Anna and Rachel, asked if they could join us.
‘The more the merrier,’ I smiled. ‘But we’re going to need another bike!’
Soon after, I was scrolling on social media when I saw a photo of a quad tandem bike.
That’s one way to get people’s attention, I thought.
My friends agreed. But unable to locate one in Australia, we had to look further afield.
Incredibly, Rachel connected with some blokes in Canada who offered to sell us a quad tandem they’d used on a charity ride.
Weighing 33kg and at 3.8 metres long, the bike had 22 gears.
Once it arrived, to get accustomed to the unique two-wheeler, we went on practice runs, with me at the helm and Rachel in charge of gears at the back.
It was a bit clunky at first, but we quickly fell into rhythm.
Then in August this year, us ladies flew to Perth, where our journey was to begin, while my mate Gary drove Ruby the bike over in a friend’s van.
Finally, on September 1, we set off from Scarborough, WA, for our six-week adventure.
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In addition to pedalling, Sonia, in the second seat, was our navigator, while Anna, in third spot, was in charge of music to keep our spirits high and capturing content for our social media.
We also had support from Gary, who followed us in the van, full of our belongings, plus my son Matthew and our friends Orrani and Marta, who were filming our journey.
We planned on visiting as many schools as possible to teach kids about why mental health matters.
Our first stop was in Merredin, where we visited a school who organised a fundraiser for us.
‘Wow!’ the kids marvelled at Ruby.
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We’d take breaks along the way and either stay in tents or sleep at local accommodation.
After stopping at several other towns in WA, we made the gruelling journey across the Nullarbor.
It took us a solid 10 days and we camped most of the way.
It was one of my favourite parts of the trip – so rugged and majestic.
‘People came out to stare at the sight of us.’
As we travelled along on our journey, people came out to stare at the sight of us, often waving and cheering us on.
And no matter the conditions, we’d continue pedalling through rain, wind, or sunshine.
Our hottest day was 35 degrees riding across the Nullarbor – it was steamy but we guzzled lots of water and kept going.
We also had some family and friends who joined us in a caravan – which we nicknamed ‘The Palace’ – taking care of our laundry, and cooking.
A few weeks into our journey, we arrived in South Australia, posing for a photo at a gift shop aptly named Halfway Across Australia.
‘Only 2000km to go,’ I laughed with the others.
‘People opened up about their struggles with mental health.’
At each stop, we’d meet incredible people who’d open up about their own struggles with mental health – from outback farmers to elderly folk.
Along the way, we saw magnificent scenery and landmarks, such as a giant statue of a kangaroo in Border Village, SA.
We made our way through Victoria to NSW, before our final stretch from Canberra to Sydney, passing The Big Merino in Goulburn on our way.
Crossing the finish line at Bondi Beach after spending 40 days covering a whopping 4200km, we were on cloud nine.
‘I’m so proud of us,’ I hugged the girls, as we dismounted, legs wobbly.
We were elated by the crowd cheering us on.
‘We raised $111,568 on our trek.’
Incredibly, we raised $111,568 on our trek.
A month on, the girls and I are already planning our next adventure.
And as I always say, where there’s a wheel, there’s a way!
