INTRODUCTION

Feeling a bit unfit and pudgy in his late 50’s, Dad decided to do something about it and set about getting fit and healthy by taking up his passion for cycling again (most of his mates would know at least one story involving Dad, a bike and some sort of madness).

In true Kerec fashion, he went full noise - also taking up jogging and swimming - and then, inspired by my younger brother Mal, started competing in Triathlons.

He completed the Canberra Half Ironman (1.9km swim, 90km bike ride, 21.1km run) as a now lean and fit 61 year old - and set his sights on training for and completing a full Ironman.

On a light Sunday training ride just one week before the Port Macquarie Full Ironman in March 2010, life changed in a heartbeat.

My great mate, business partner and Dad was hit by another cyclist travelling at speed around a blind corner on the wrong side of a Canberra bike path - with both of them coming off their bikes. There were no apparent physical injuries to either of them apart from a few scratches.

The other cyclist got up. Dad didn’t.

His helmet strap had become caught up on something in the collision and caused a dislocation of his spine around the C5/C6 vertebrae - his spinal cord was damaged beyond current medical capacity to repair - and he became and remains a ‘complete’ C5 quadriplegic with no movement or function below the chest line including his hands.

History has shown that our family and friends rallied. My inspirational mum reinforced to all her strength and what a beautiful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandma and role model she is. My unbelievably strong dad regained his health - albeit in a very different body.

While his mental resilience has always been incredibly strong, I was very anxious as to how dad may cope with the ‘blink of an eye’ change from such an able bodied, coordinated, physically dexterous and super fit triathlete to a C5 quadriplegic. My fears were allayed somewhat after his hospital ‘one on one’ psychological assessment - dad came out of it with an air of self satisfaction plus a sprinkle of smugness, while his psychologist looked very much like he needed to spend considerable time with another psychologist.

So after spending several months at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney - we all came home.

Living as a quadriplegic has become my dad’s new ‘normal’. Living with a quadriplegic has become my family’s new ‘normal’. Dad has been fishing in the Northern Territory multiple times. Boating, cycling, camping, four wheel driving.

We are all good. Dad is all good. We are still mad Kerec blokes and we don’t need any help. That is not what The Spine Tingling Ride is about.

Speaking of ‘mad’ - I gave my dad a pep talk during a particularly tough time shortly after his accident - and I promised him that if he got himself out of hospital, made it back to the Northern Territory on a fishing trip, caught a fish and shared a beer with the Whatley’s on Pococks beach in Kakadu... that I would ride my mountain bike from Canberra to Darwin. He kept up his end of the deal so I had to do the same - and the idea of the Canberra to Humpty Doo 5551km Spine Tingling Ride was born and then achieved in 2017.

During the several months that dad was in the spinal care unit in hospital - we all had much to learn and accept. But some things were non-sensical and very hard to accept - like why were there so many spinal cord injured patients still in hospital - sometimes for months - sometimes for years ! - even though they were well enough to be discharged and able to go home and live within the community ?

The answer is because there is a lack of available specialised care and respite services, a complete lack of accessible housing of any type and not enough funding dedicated to spinal cord repair and rehabilitation research.

So if I was going to ride 5551km on a mountain bike from Canberra to Humpty Doo to honour a promise made to my dad, I thought I might as well try and raise a few dollars for organisations dedicated to spinal cord injury research and high physical disability support, care and respite services.

We chose Hartley Lifecare, Spinal Cure Australia and Livable Housing Austraila.

And WOW !! We raised about $130,000 …. pledged and donated by beautiful people and businesses …. because I made a promise to my dad and kept it.

The 6850km Spine Tingling Ride completed in 2023 again provided 100% of funds raised to Hartley Lifecare and Spinal Cure Australia - with all ride costs again covered by the Kerec family. Collectively, the two Spine Tingling Rides have raised over $300,000 for its beneficiaries so far.

The first ride was because of a promise to my dad - and it showed how the power of individual effort combined with community support can make a difference.

The 2023 Spine Tingling Ride was completed because of a promise I made to myself - to keep challenging myself to make a difference and improve prospects and outcomes for anyone living with a spinal injury or other high level disability. (Oh….. and also to give dad something else to do so he bugged mum less).

Andy