“If I am a little bit sore after a game of footy or I am
facing a fierce head wind and think I am doing it tough,
all I have to do is think of all the people who are fighting
this disease and doing it a lot tougher than me, and this
gets me up and going,” Shane Weatherly said.
This disease is cancer, a disease that touches many
Australians either directly or indirectly every day, with
108,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed this year alone.
Shane Weatherly of the Werribee Centrals Football
Club is participating in the Tour De FightBaCC (Fight
Breast and Children’s Cancer), a 905km bike ride from
Adelaide to Shepparton.
Taking place later in the year from October 5-11,
Weatherly reveals the grueling seven day bike ride will
be in honor of both his sister and mother.
“My motivation for participating in Tour De FightBaCC
is being robbed of getting to know a sister as she lost a
long battle to cancer in 1993, to then losing the biggest
inspiration in my life, my mum, in early 2012 to this
unwanted disease.”
Shane’s father Graeme and brother-in-law Dale are also
very passionate about finding a cure for this disease,
and were the main organises in getting the Tour De
FightBaCC up and running.
“Both my father and brother-in-law set up the Tour by
scratch in order to raise some much needed funds for
cancer.”
In its inaugural year, the ride sees a team of 15 riders
pledge to raise a minimum of $2000 individually to the
cause, along with any additional support and donations
from major sponsors.
Through the ride, Weatherly hopes to raise as much
money as possible, in order to one day eliminate cancer
so that no one will have to bear the loss that so many
Australians have already experienced.
“The Football Club has been a great support, having a
fundraising tin on the bar for members, players, visitors,
opposition footballers, committee members and pretty
much anybody who wishes to add money to the cause,”
he said.
Shane has been involved with the Werribee Centrals
Football Club for three seasons and is this year’s Vice-
Captain of the seniors team.
“The club is looking to become a silver sponsor by
raising $1000 for the Tour De FightBaCC, which will be
a great achievement for the club.”
The winter season has made Shane’s training efforts
a lot harder, especially having to brave the icy winter
mornings in lycra or follow up with a tough Sunday
training session after playing footy the previous day.
Although he finds it difficult at times, he reminds
himself of the cause and that the momentary discomfort
he faces during training is nowhere near comparable to
the pain cancer sufferers face daily.
The Cancer Council Australia estimates that one in two
Australian men and one in three Australian women will
be diagnosed with some form of cancer this year. Shane
doesn’t seek personal recognition, but merely awareness
for the cause.
“I urge everyone to support these charities that are
striving to either prevent cancer or to restore and
maintain a quality of life for sufferers and their families.”
So next time you buy a drink from the bar at the Werribee
Centrals Football Club, remember to pop the change in
the tin, every little bit helps.
For information on the ride, a list of sponsors
or even the opportunity to donate, please visit
www.tourdefightbacc.com
Last Modified on 03/11/2013 10:31