Five laps oil wheels for bigger task
MICHAEL BERRY
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The chairman of the Neonatal New Zealand Trust cruised in second for the 505-kilometre Ultimate Forrest GrapeRide – with a little help from some Marlborough friends.
Lower Hutt lawyer and trust chairman Eugene Collins entered the endurance race as a warmup for the Auckland-Wellington Ride4Life he will attempt on April 15.
Mr Collins put in a time of 18hr 30min and was looking good after a rubdown and a short nap.
He is taking on the 650km non-stop ride from Auckland to the capital to raise awareness and fundraise for the neonatal trust as well as knock off an old goal.
"It was something I always wanted to do and I spoke up at a fundraising meeting; next thing it was a fundraising initiative," he said.
He expects to be in the saddle for about 25 to 30 hours to make the journey, which endurance cycling legend Brian Lambert completed in a record 19hr 59min 27sec in 1984.
Whitehaven Wines managing director Sue White put Mr Collins up while in Blenheim for the race and rounded up a support crew.
As vintage is under way, she had to get a few helpers from outside the busy winery and roped in Blenheim lawyer Philip Watson and Bladen Wines owner Dave Macdonald.
Danny Phipps, the Wellington-based Whitehaven Wines New Zealand distribution manager and Ms White's brother, crossed Cook Strait to support his friend Mr Collins.
"It was great. All I had to do was ride the bike and eat what they gave me," Mr Collins said.
A keen cyclist since the early 1980s, Mr Collins took part in last year's GrapeRide.
"It's a lovely course, one of the nicest courses I've ridden, the hills were OK – although they weren't in the fifth lap."
The Neonatal Trust supports families of premature and sick full-term babies who are in the neonatal intensive care units and helps parents adjust when they can take them home.
Mr Collins had need of the trust's service when his son was born seriously ill and beat the odds to survive. Since his involvement the trust has grown from a small charity based in Wellington to a nationwide organisation.
To donate or follow Mr Collins' progress go to Ride4life.co.nz or visit the Ride4Life community page on Facebook.com.
- The Marlborough Express
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