… And so it begins

October 31, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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What a fantastic day. The day finally arrived and the 2011 Cancer Ride is under way.

We began by broadcasting from St. John’s Church in the main street of Albany. Then at midday the Mayor of Albany wished us well and officially started our ride.

We cycled just over 91 kilometres to Cranbrook with a very pleasant stop at a cafe in Mt. Barker.

The team had a wonderful day on the bikes with a good breeze mostly on our backs for a good part of the afternoon which meant we achieved a fairly good pace. The only downside was that most of the day was spent in the very busy Albany Highway. Oh …. and the fact that there were plenty of hills which bothered a few riders.

The people we met in Albany over the last few days have been extremely generous with great hospitality and lots of donations to kick the fundraising tally along.

The meal we had in Cranbrook tonight proved that country hospitality is always outstanding. We’re looking forward to a good night’s sleep before broadcasting from the Cranbrook Post Office then cycling 80 kilometres to Katannning. The roads will be much quieter tomorrow now that we’re away from Albany Highway.

If you’d like to support Cancer Council WA just click the link in my sidebar.



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The Day Arrives

October 29, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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We’re finally about to hit the road.

At midday today our team of cyclists and our trusty support crew will say goodbye to friends and family as we leave 98.5 Sonshine FM in Como to begin our ride for cancer. If you missed the details you can read all you might like to know at my previous post, Cancer can be beaten.

There won’t be any cycling today. We’ll be packing our support bus and driving to Albany in preparation for our first day of riding on Monday. The ride of over 500 kilometres next week will be a tough road but I’m reminded that those who are facing cancer often travel a much harder road. I’m glad to be relatively healthy and happy to do what I can to help people facing some tough times.

If you haven’t had opportunity to donate so far, please follow this link. Your contribution will go directly to Cancer Council Western Australia and to the amazing work they do. Donations of $2 and above are tax deductible in Australia.

As I try to balance cycling and radio broadcasting over the next week I’m not sure how much opportunity I’ll have to update you during the trip. I’m hoping it’ll be often and I’ll make every effort to keep you up to date.

You can listen in each morning from 9 to 12, Monday to Friday, to hear more about the ride and the work that your donations will do through Cancer Council Western Australia. If you’re not in our broadcast area, you can listen online by going to the 98.5 Sonshine FM website. If you’re overseas you can use this great Time Zone Converter to work out when to listen. Just enter your location and Perth, Western Australia to check time differences.

Thanks for your support.



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Riding into a Long Weekend

October 28, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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The regular Friday morning ride to Sassy’s had quite a boost in numbers today. Each Friday morning a group of cyclists ride from Canning Vale to the city for a coffee to get the day underway.

The Friday public holiday in Western Australia meant that a lot more riders were free to ride into the city to sit beside the Swan River and enjoy some great company and conversation. With perfect weather and a good crowd of riders it was a great way to start the day.

The only downside was the 15% slug on top of their normal prices. Their prices aren’t generally cheap but that’s understandable for such a prime piece of real estate, but to add a 15% surcharge for the public holiday is just nasty.



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Cancer can be beaten

October 24, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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“Cancer can be beaten.” What an amazing statement. That’s what one cancer researcher recently told me. He’s confident that a day will come when we beat cancer.

How different would our world be without cancer? How many people that we have deeply loved would still be with us? How much heartbreak would we have been spared?

It might not be in our grasp to relegate cancer to the history books yet but if we’re serious about it, we can help with research that may help that eventually happen and we can help those who are currently on a journey with cancer.

In one week from today, Monday the 31st of October, I’ll be joined by twelve other cyclists for a ride from Albany to Perth, honouring those who have battled cancer and the many more who have journeyed alongside a loved one who has faced this terrible disease. I’ll broadcast my morning radio programme on 98.5 Sonshine FM from a different town each morning before we jump on our bikes to ride to our next destination.

As well as getting ready to cycle over 500 kilometres we’re all raising money for Cancer Council Western Australia and so while you may not be able to join our ride you can certainly help us reach our fundraising goals.

The team is hoping to raise over $20 000 for Cancer Council WA.

Can I ask you to consider donating right now to Cancer Council WA to help those facing cancer? I know that not everyone can afford to a huge amount so please feel free to give whatever you can. Every amount of $2 or above is tax deductible in Australia and will make a difference for so many.

You can donate directly by following this link. The link will take you directly to the Everyday Hero secure site.

Monday 31st October 2011:
Broadcasting from Albany 9 – 12
Albany to Cranbrook 91 km

Tuesday 1st November 2011:
Broadcasting from Cranbrook 9 – 12
Cranbrook to Katanning 80 km

Wednesday 2nd November 2011:
Broadcasting from Katanning 9 – 12
Katanning to Wagin 55 km

Thursday 3rd November 2011:
Broadcasting from Wagin 9 – 12
Wagin to Pingelly 100 km

Friday 4th November 2011:
Broadcasting from Pingelly 9 – 12
Pingelly to York 87 km

Saturday 5th November 2011:
York to Perth 97 km

TOTAL: 510 km

Help spread the word.

I’d also ask you to share the link to this post through your blog or whatever other means you have available. At the bottom of this post are buttons for sharing the details on StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Digg, Reddit or even emailing the post to others. Just click your preferred button (or all of them) to get the word out.



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Trust Survives

October 21, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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Ever noticed how differently you feel about the people in front of you in a queue and the treatment you’d like to receive?

I know it’s wrong, but sitting in the barber’s shop today, I was quite keen for the barber to get through the two customers in front of me as quickly as possible but I certainly didn’t want him to do a rush job on my hair. Of course it’s been a while since anyone has had to take too much time over my hair anyway. There’s less of it every week.

Something very interesting happened in that barber’s shop today. The sole operator finished the first of the two guys ahead of me and then got started on the next. It was only towards the end of the second haircut that the first bloke wandered back in and handed the barber some money before heading off again. I figured he was a friend of the barber and was settling his account.

Ding ding. The alarm bells started to ring. I looked towards the cash register and sure enough, no card facilities visible, and I had no cash on me whatsoever. Well, actually, I had eighty cents in twenty cent pieces but that would have bought me roughly about thirty eight seconds in the barber’s chair. I got up and said, “Excuse me. Do you take cards here?” I guess I already knew the answer and I was ready to dash out to find a teller machine. “No … ” said the barber, ” … we only take cash but you can get some money after your haircut.”

I’d never set foot inside that barber shop before and the barber wouldn’t know me if he tripped over me, yet he was prepared to cut my hair and let me walk out of his shop without seeing any return. He was trusting a complete stranger and I suppose the guy who came back with money earlier was in the same boat. I wonder how many people this young guy trusts each day to head out after their haircut and return with some cash.

I’m sure you know that I quickly visited the local teller machine after the barber had finished snipping and headed back with my payment. I was never tempted to do anything else.

How incredibly refreshing. It felt good to be trusted. Trust isn’t something that too many people are offering these days.

Can you remember a time when you surprised by trust?



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