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Stem cell recipient Al Carr is cycling New Zealand to raise money and awareness for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.
The 55-year-old from Morrinsville started in Bluff on Monday last week and, biking State Highway 1, was in Ashburton for an overnight stop two days later.
He was cycling about 35km/h according to his father-in-law Gerald Reeves, who was travelling behind him in a support campervan, along with dog, Jack.
Carr is detailing his journey via his ‘Bluff to Beacon — Cycling the length of NZ for Blood Cancer’ Facebook page.
It’s a journey he never thought he would do.
Nine years ago, Carr was diagnosed with diffuse large B-Cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In an instant, life changed, he said.
‘‘After months of treatment, I was told the cancer had returned and my chances of survival were low,’’ he said.
‘‘I went through a stem cell transplant and weeks in hospital, too weak to walk, holding on to the hope of seeing my family’s future."
Today, he is in remission.
‘‘I get to watch my daughter build her life and family, see my son raise his children, and hear two beautiful grandchildren call me “Pop” — moments that once felt impossible.
‘‘This ride is my way of giving back.
‘‘For the people still in the fight.
‘‘For the families living with uncertainty.
‘‘And for the chance I was given to still be here.’’
Along with added support of his employer and colleagues at Silver Fern Farms, he has already raised an impressive $14,000.
He has been ‘‘pulling in and catching up’’ with Silver Ferns office staff along the route.
Among them, Pete Reynolds of Ashburton who turned out in support as he arrived in town, and when he left the following morning.
Carr is engineering manager at the Te Aroha plant and said he chose winter for his ride, to make the most of southerly tail winds.
‘‘I thought I would get a lot more sou’wester/southerlies so that was the reason for doing it (now),’’ he said.
As Carr left Ashburton, residents were waking up to a -4degC temperature. No wind.
It was the coldest morning of the year.
He was keen to get moving.
‘‘I wish had more tail wind yesterday,’’ he said, ahead of his leg to Christchurch.
‘‘It was coming off the ocean. It didn’t feel like a southerly.
‘‘The first two days was; we encountered the snow in Dunedin which was interesting, but it’s been good so far.’’
Carr is a member of the Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club and clocks up an average of 350km a week training on ‘‘a lot more punchy, short hills where I live’’.
He is riding an Elves Falath, an aero-framed racing bike he has owned for eight months.
There is also a reserve bike on board the campervan.
The ride itself, especially the long straight roads of the South Island had been unfamiliar territory but potholes, widely reported by drivers through the Ashburton District, had not been an issue.
‘‘They haven’t been not too bad. I’ve been riding inside the white line, obviously on the side of the road.
‘‘Riding with the 30s (tyre depth) it takes a lot of that road noise out. I wouldn’t want to be on 25s. They are a thing of the past.’’
He said they ran a lot less pressure and took a lot of road bumps out.
‘‘If it was old-school 25s or something, I wouldn’t be looking too good, I think.’’