Back with a vengeance

This year was HypoActive’s sixth run at Woody’s Murray to Moyne, a gruelling 520km, 24-hour bicycle relay event, which had the 2008 team cycle from Echuca, on the banks of the murky Murray, down to Port Fairy, at the mouth of the marvellous Moyne.

And this year each member of the HypoActive team gave their best effort, whether pushing pedals to the max or as part of the vital and magnificent support team, and surely penetrated deeper into the annals of Australian diabetic cycling than ever before.

Their reason for riding? To raise funds for diabetic camps, which team members know only too well are a huge help to young type 1’s in getting active, getting independent and, often for the first time, spending quality days and nights with other young people with diabetes.

Diabetes is a lifelong medical condition that is managed primarily by the person who has it – mostly in isolation, often in silence. For the fully type 1 diabetic HypoActive team – 10 riders and five support crew – the weekend of the 5th and 6th of April was certainly not to be one characterised by silence.

Five of last year’s veterans (and some from much longer) were back in the ranks: Monique, Dan, Hannah, Paul and Gavin. After an absence of two years Spike (Hypo Boy) was back with a vengeance. And newcomers Tony and Andrew were joined by an unknown element, a pair of itinerant Canadians, Chloe and Rob, who arrived with the mystery and charisma of Jedi knights, adorned with almost ritualistic woollen beanies, among the type 1 fold.

The word in the car-park in Port Melbourne on the Friday afternoon was, ‘They’ve come all the way from Canada – they’ve got to be fast.’

High spirits

Riders on the last two years of this event had been bullied by strong headwinds throughout the respective Saturdays and the team waited at the start feeling tense with uncertainty about the weather ahead.

HypoActive split into three groups this year and Dan, Spike and Andrew led off from Echuca. The DAV team was bundled together with ours at the start, but we never again saw them on the road. Later we learnt that they had all travelled long distances at high speeds, achieving a truly heroic relay success. DAV is an enormous logistic help to HypoActive on this event and we raise our helmets to them.

The Saturday wasn’t an easy pedal, as it turned out. Winds whipped up and spun around and we all feared for a Tatooine-like sandstorm, but average speeds still clung to a very pleasing 30kmph.

This year’s perfect recovery angel, Lyndal, plied riders with food and drinks and remained friendly and persistent in reminding riders of their duty to test their bgl’s.

Hypoactive riders worked as hard as ever on the road to the overnight stop, Hamilton, but the mood on the big bus running behind was one of escalating high spirits.

Matt’s musical tastes have become even more diverse and loud, stirring rock music was interspersed with Australian country classics. When Give Me a Home Among the Gum Trees leapt from the speakers, Monique jumped from her seat to dance and sing along. This was the only time an element of fear crept over the laughing faces of the Canadians, but before long, to the high energy sound of The Jets, Chloe had joined Monique on the floor and helmeted heads were turning on the road to Hamilton as jealous riders asked in astonishment, ‘Who’s the team with the dancing girls?’

To our amazement, we learnt that Chloe and Rob had never been on road bikes before. In fact, their only experience of cycling was their recent trip round the south island of NZ. Their performance was exceptional – clearly, the Force was with them. Fast Tony on his carbon Giant and team-leader (and cycling legend) Monique showed the Canadians the bunch riding ropes and together they showed the world what Insulin Injected Engines can do.

As darkness spread over the western plains the winds did their traditional disappearing act and cyclists clicked up their gears for fast fun riding into the night.

Spike, Andrew and Dan laboured manfully and swiftly on an extra long shift while the crew wrestled pizzas from the busy folk of Stawell. Hannah, Paul and Gavin stepped up their pace and baffled those behind with scintillatingly fast ascents.

The final exhilarating run into Hamilton was given to Chloe, Rob and Monique and all riders and crew felt proud as pademelons to reach the town by 1am (midnight once the clocks were changed).

Paradise

Having a couple of extra hours ‘sleep’ in the sheep shed at Hamilton was said by some to be a mixed blessing. At least 200m long, the building is brightly lit at one end, where Rotary folk scorch the flesh of sausages and bacon all night, yelling and laughing raucously as they toil. At the other end, hundreds of cyclists lie moaning in darkness on the frozen concrete floor. This nightmarish world had Gavin waking and muttering about the lower circles of Dante’s Inferno.

But it was paradise indeed to be back in the saddle the next day and flying through the crisp morning air towards the coast. HypoActive kept the majority of riders on the road all the way to Port Fairy, and all team members focussed hard on formation and the needs of those around them.  When the front riders applied their brakes they called out ‘Slowing!’ and each time, Chloe, thinking it was her name being spoken, replied “Yes!’

Spike and Gavin took the lion’s share of the lead and it was thus that they came to shame. At the spotting of a town sign high spirits took control, their pedalling feet were lost in frenzy and the two riders sprinted, as if for their lives. At the next stop Monique vented her righteous ire and both men hung their heads like guilty Gungans. Gavin was heard to mumble ignominiously, ‘Spike did it.’ But all was soon forgiven.

For the third year in succession, riders stopped every 20km and all team members checked their blood sugar. It was done swiftly, unexpected lows were averted this way and riders took to the road stuffing lollies into their mouths. Support crew tested too, having been working like Wookies since the start of the ride. They were indeed a faultless crew whose driving and changeovers went without a hitch, without exception.

At the edge of Port Fairy came the last loud call of ‘Chloe!’ and the team formed into a tight pack for the dignified last few hundred metres into town. It is elating for any rider to get cheered by so many people on completing an event and the team was very happy to get showered and take their seats in the local pub for lunch.

The support crew were quite heatedly disagreeing about the winner of the HAY BAIL (HypoActive Yearly Best Arse In Lycra), until the Canadians were seen to do something surreptitiously funny, almost a Jedi thing, with their hands. As if by magic, a clear decision was suddenly made and Chloe was declared the winner.

The 2008 HypoActive Murray to Moyne was a success for riders, crew, sponsors and diabetic camps. For the riders and crew it was a major physical challenge, and one not made any easier by diabetes. But with planning – and much finger-pricking – it was a glorious team experience that none will ever forget.

Padawan learners needed

Anyone thinking of having a go in 2009? This year HypoActive had a fairly fast team, but this is not always the case. New and slower riders are always welcome and will fit in as just as important members of the team as any racer (or Jedi Knight). It is a physically demanding weekend, but one with personal rewards far outweighing the hardships.

And the famous Hamilton Shed  O’ Sheep is truly a wonderful place to rest your head and sleep – I wouldn’t miss it for the universe! 
 
 

Report by Gavin Wright

‘Diabetes didn’t stop me’