In the spirit of doing what you can to help, Andrew and Caleb Gersbach are about to embark on the Tour de Cure, a mammoth 14,000km bike ride. Kicking off on Thursday 14 March, the father-and-son duo will ride the Signature Tour from Hobart to Adelaide, aiming to raise funds for cancer research, support and education.
To enter the Signature Tour, all participants are required to raise a minimum of $12,000, including the $1,000 sign-up fee which year 12 student Caleb paid from earnings from his casual job. Riding with a group of like-minded individuals towards the common goal of achieving a cure for cancer is something the Gersbachs are passionate about.
“I just want to see a difference made and I want to be part of that group that does something about it,” says Andrew.
Between September and the start date, all participants undertake a 6,000km training program in preparation. The big day starts with staggered rollouts accompanied by the uplifting cheer of the crowds and Channel 7’s Sunrise, who also create a documentary every year.
Travelling different routes each Signature Ride, the tour visits schools and businesses to educate people about their cause.
“[Riders] create a good environment for children to understand that one in three cancers is preventable. We talk to the kids about being fit, healthy and happy, and demystify the awfulness of cancer,” says Andrew.
Riding between 120 and nearly 200km each day, they visit an eatery in the town they are staying in for the evening and present a local cancer support group with $10,000.
“That money goes directly to a regional cause, making a difference for that town or that region. That is a hell of a lift for us; we might have just ridden 200km, sitting in the sun or bitter cold for eight or nine hours, but knowing that money goes to something so important really lifts our spirits,
“It’s things like end-of-life care where somebody might be bound to a bed, we’ve provided portable oxygen machines so they can go spend time outside with their families in those final moments,” says Andrew.
The Tour de Cure, launched in 2007 by three friends motivated to make a difference after learning that one in two people will be affected by cancer by age 85 and aims to help find a cure for cancer. The $118 million funding raised by Tour de Cure participants over the years has helped with the delivery of 979 cancer projects and 144 cancer research breakthroughs.
Ranked as a Tier 1 Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, Tour de Cure is transparent about where their money goes with 70.3 cents of every dollar going to cancer projects.
During his schooling, Andrew’s mother Robyn had cancer. His mother being misdiagnosed a couple of times is part of the reason early detection diagnosis is so important to him. Robyn passed away in 1995 at just 44 years old due complications from secondary bowel cancer. Andrew and his wife Lisa married a year earlier and were able to share that moment with his mother.
“She was the life of the party, she was funny, crazy, she was all the things I think Caleb would have really enjoyed. It was something [meeting Caleb] I was disappointed she didn’t get to experience, and he didn’t either,” says Andrew.
In 2016, Andrew’s brother had to have a large portion of his face removed due to melanoma. As he is blind, he hadn’t noticed what was happening. Andrew wants to help put an end to cancer prematurely impacting families. This sentiment is echoed by Caleb, who has also been inspired by his father’s passion for the cause over the past ten years.
“If you can do something, you should, and no better time than to start early. My grandmother and I know a fair few people who have had it [cancer], actually classmates who have as well. The support you get for saying you are raising money for cancer is pretty big; it’s that little bit of joy that makes you move on further,” says Caleb.
Over the course of the tour, riding in a peloton of approximately 26 people, the participants become close over the nine days. Taking into account the fact that not everyone rides at the same speed, the tour is designed with the fastest riders taking off last in hopes of everyone arriving at their destination at a similar time.
“We want to make these tours as accommodating to everyone as humanly possible. The important part of this is the raising of the money and the riding is the vehicle,” says Andrew.
Taking off on his first Tour de Cure in 2014, Andrew has returned every year except one. That year, he had to sit out due to a broken shoulder and suffered major FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Thanks to the support of friends, family and his employer CISCO, Andrew has surpassed the impressive milestone of raising $200,000.
“My first one Caleb and Lisa came down to Hobart, there is a picture of Caleb in my arms, we’re holding each other. That was the finish to my first and now the start of my tenth he is going to be there starting with me, it’s really cool,” smiles Andrew.
At 17 years old, Caleb will be the youngest person to take part in Tour de Cure as usually riders are required to be at least 18.
“It might be a bit intimidating because I probably don’t have the highest skill level out of the whole group. Probably, the main thing will be hearing other people’s stories,” says Caleb.
The race takes place a month shy of Caleb’s 18th birthday but because of being Andrew’s son and his maturity as assessed by various members, he was allowed to enter early.
“That was simply listening to other people’s stories while riding and seeing how I would respond to it,” Caleb says.
“Someone telling you about their parents, their son, their daughter or whatever passing away from cancer or struggling with cancer is a lot to take in as an adult. Unfortunately, we’ve lost a lot of friends and family around us to cancer and it’s not easy,” adds Andrew.
Caleb received a special exemption from his school, St Edmunds College to participate in the tour, he says they have been incredibly supportive and told him it is something he absolutely had to do. The young man has reached his minimum fundraising goal thanks to the support of friends and family near and abroad.
Preparing for the early mornings- usually a 5am start, Caleb anticipates the physical challenges that come with riding such distances, however, he thinks the mental side will be the hardest part.
“Say you’re 30km into the ride and you’re struggling, you’re basically done for the day, you have to tell yourself to keep going and that’s just training. The training that we do for the six months before the tour is mental as well; you go out on those long, hot rides trying to train your mind,” he says.
Andrew knows the feeling well, he says when you first roll out, you’re excited and ready for the day, discussing plans with the peloton and making sure everyone has all their supplies. At around 100km, you start thinking about food, this can eat up some time says Andrew. Most riders will put a stick on their handlebars – a reminder of why they are riding when they need to dig deep.
“I’m only riding a bike, how hard is it for an eight-year-old child to be going through leukemia treatment? It’s not hard what we’re doing, get over it, get on with it,” Andrew says.
Highlights come when they stop to take a break and someone thanks them for their efforts or shares their own cancer story with a rider, this sends a high through the whole peloton. They also have the time to learn more about fellow riders and their motivations for taking the journey.
“I’ve ridden next to so many people whose stories might be: I have nobody in my friends or family who has had cancer but I know I need to do something, might be my mum passed away a week ago from cancer,” he says” I rode next to a guy called Darren one year, he had surgery a week before taking most of his palate out of his mouth.”
They may be the ones riding but they know that the tour couldn’t go on without the support of all the people who donate to the worthy cause. The Gersbach team is committed to continuing until the job is done.
“If people are prepared to support you and give you a small donation, a big donation and it can be used to go somewhere to make a difference, I’m all for that. I keep coming back because the job’s not done, we haven’t found a cure,” says Andrew.
Support Andrew and Caleb has they ride Tour de Cure; tourdecure.com.au
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