Riding to the top of Oz

Neil Taylor, Pilot Officer Brendon Mulloy, Flying Officer Chris Fox and Lieutenant Jaime Johnson minutes before embarking on their charity ride from Canberra to the Snowy Mountains.

A TEAM of cyclists made up largely of Air Force riders headed straight for the top in its bid to raise money for charity.

The six members of Team TAA (Tenix Defence, Accenture and APT Business Solutions) attempted to ride from Canberra to the summit of Mount Kosciusko late last year to raise money for the Hartley Ability Challenge, a foundation that supports children with disabilities.

Air Force personnel Pilot Officer Brendon Mulloy, Squadron Leader Graeme Swan, Flight Lieutenant Wayne Hopkins and Flying Officer Chris Fox joined Neil Taylor and Lieutenant Jaime Johnson for the ride, which was intended to take them from the nation’s capital to Australia’s highest point, 2228m above sea level.

Although the emphasis was on raising funds rather than competing, the team went head to head with other groups of riders, all of whom had the summit in their sights.
The first four members of the team rode out of Canberra on Friday, November 29, bound for Jindabyne, some 170km away.

Stops were taken at 30-40km intervals, and riders were allowed to sub on and off when they felt the need.

FLGOFF Fox and LT Johnson were by far the strongest riders in the team, with the rest of the members lending support where they could, resulting in a solid fourth placing at the end of day one.

The second day the team had to contend with the gruelling 30km ascent into the Kosciusko National Park, a journey that would involve a climb of about 1300m in altitude.

Again, FLGOFF Fox and LT Johnson displayed their strength to be the only riders from the team to cycle the entire leg from Jindabyne to Charlotte Pass, with only rivals Team Paxus catching the pair.

Once there, the weather rapidly deteriorated and the decision was made to have a photo shoot at the Charlotte Pass lookout and those who wished could make the run to the summit.

Most, however, opted for a coffee in Jindabyne.

The team rolled back into Canberra on Sunday, December 1, finishing a creditable third. More importantly, the event raised more than $37,000 for the Hartley Foundation.

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