Community & Business
16 July, 2023
Riding the country to help save lives
PEDALLING his trike into Mareeba, young stroke survivor Tommy Quick, 29, is closing in on reaching Cape York.
PEDALLING his trike into Mareeba, young stroke survivor Tommy Quick, 29, is closing in on reaching Cape York.
Pleased with the downhill descent from Atherton, Tommy, who hails from Melbourne, said riding through Herberton Range on Thursday was “probably one of the hardest” he’s travelled through during his journey.
“The traffic was hectic (from Atherton to Mareeba). It’s a good road with lots of room and most drivers are pretty considerate,” Tommy said.
Tommy is on a mission to ride about 9000kms throughout Australia, touching the four most extreme points Cape York, east to Byron Bay, south to Wilson’s Promontory and as far west to Steep Point.
He’s not just riding these roads for fun Tommy is raising money ($98,000 so far) for the Stroke Foundation and awareness about the medical condition.
At just 12, Tommy suffered a stroke which impacted him physically and affected his communication.
From learning to walk and talk again to using a trike for rehabilitation, Tommy is no stranger to hard work.
In November 2021, more than 3600km into his ride, Tommy was hit by a car in South Australia. His injuries were severe and he spent a year out of his trike. From then, the journey became a personal goal to complete.
“Two days after the car accident, Channel 9 interviewed me and I said ‘I will be back’. That made me want to get back onto the bike. It was something more than a personal goal.”
Nagging parents also kept his goal alive and are his support along the way.
Tommy has enjoyed the Tablelands for the past week - including a fundraiser at Ravenshoe Hotel on Friday night as they begin the final preparations to head north to Cape York.
Travelling about 60-80km a day, Tommy said he hoped to reach Cape York by the end of July or early August, in time to celebrate his 30th birthday.
He will be joined by a couple of friends for part of the trip north including well-known Cairns cyclist Tilmann Waldthaler.
Tommy said he was passionate about social inclusion and hoped to break down some common misconceptions about disability.
“I want people to know that stroke can happen to anyone, at any time. I plan on stopping along the way and speaking with anyone who will listen.”
Tommy and his family are most happy to chat with anyone who has questions about what he is doing. For more information, to follow his journey or to donate, visit: www.the4points.org
▪ Tommy was 12 when he suffered a life- changing stroke
▪ He is riding 9000km across Australia on a trike
▪ His aim is to ride to the four most extreme points of the country (north, east, south and west)
▪ He hopes to raise $1m along the way
▪ Tommy aims to educate people about stroke
in young people
▪ Stroke can be recognised through the F.A.S.T acronym (Face. Arm. Speech. Time)
▪ 123,977 Australians of working age (aged 18–64) are living with the impact of stroke
