Mike departed Perth on September 15 to embark on the Ride for Compassion Coast to Coast with a group of 24 riders and eight support crew.

The official ride finished in Newcastle on Tuesday, October 16, where Mike enjoyed a day’s rest before completing his own personal journey back home with his mate, Guy Jarman.

Guy was the driving force behind Mike taking on the adventure which saw him raise more than $16,000 and awareness for children in dire situations around the world.

“He called me one Sunday afternoon and asked if I wanted to ride across Australia,” Mike explained. “It was something I wanted to do, so I registered right away.”

“I just suggested it,” Guy laughed.

It turned out Guy was unable to take part for health reasons, but that didn’t stop Mike pushing forward on the fundraiser which raised more than $345,000 for children in 25 countries. 

Guy met up with Mike in Newcastle and rode as support for him on the final journey back home. The ride across Australia covered 4390kms with the group visiting communities along the way.

Mike said he was very inspired by the generosity of the people he met; even in the communities stricken by the drought people managed to donate funds to help children who are worse off.

“People on the street would come up and donate what money they had on them,” Mike said. “It was very moving.”

The month-long journey went off without any major incidents for the entire group, and for Mike not even a tyre puncture.

He did however have a bit of a spill, and he believes it was a miracle he didn’t end up seriously injured.

“I hit the tyre of the bike in front of me,” he recalled. “And I went over the handle bars.”

He was so impressed by his lack of injury, he listed it as one of his best days during the ride.

Mike’s food intake doubled during the course of the ride as he just tried to get enough kilojoules everyday to keep going.

The longest day had the group covering 194kms, riding from sunrise until a half hour after dark. This day was one of Mike’s biggest food struggle days, having not eaten enough at breakfast – a situation he remedied by the afternoon.

As for his physical condition, he said he lost 10 kilograms during his preparation for the event with an additional four shed throughout the journey.

In an emotional speech to his family and friends upon his return, he thanked all of them for their prayers and words of support throughout his journey which helped him keep moving.

Mike’s total funds raised were $16,120 as of October 19, surpassing his $15,000 goal.

All the riders paid their own way to ensure the funds raised go directly to the cause. Accommodation and food was mostly provided by community groups along the way.

About Ride for Compassion

It’s an annual event in which cyclists and support crew raise money for Compassion Australia, with funds raised used to support Compassion’s Critical Needs. 

This year’s month-long ride travelling from coast to coast was a trek from the beautiful beaches of Western Australia, across the barren inland of Australia, to the bustling east coast city of Newcastle. The participants tested their stamina, while making a massive difference to the lives of children living in poverty. There were 28 riding days and four rest days.