TOUR DE CURE 2008 (we did it)
Jay's (mailbag) 
Darsly mum - Sarah - Jay
I have had some great times over the past few weeks and one of them was to go to IT TAKES TWO - this is a TV show in Melbourne where you get a celebrity singer teamed up with a celebrity of anything and above in PINK is SARAH - she was supporting Camp Quality and darsly mum and I got to go along and sit it the Audience along with Sarah's mum while it was televised live. Each singer has a charity they support and Sarah supports Camp Quality - she is a wonderful person and we got to party on with her and all the other starts after the show. Jay and Peter O'Brien from Home and Away
TOUR DE CURE 2008
It is Monday 31st March and time to get the Tour De Cure off on another big ride. This year the Tour De Cure guys are riding from MELBOURNE to SYDNEY and arrive in Sydney on Tuesday 8th April. Above is me and Geoff, who is the creator of Tour De Cure and very dedicated and all of the team are to raising as much money for Cancer Research. We all met up at Federation Square, all the team were anxious to get going. Of course we did all the TV media stuff, drinks food, interviews and some funny stuff as well. 
This is SAM - she is the one who does all the organising and makes sure everything runs smoothly, she is just telling me what I have to do before the guys head off as I have to fire the gun for them all to start heading to Sydney.
JAY and MALCOLM
JAY and DIPPER
Above, this is big Dipper (he use to play for my AFL team Hawthorn) now he does lots of TV and Dipper was there to support the day and do an interview live on the Kerry Anne Show. 
The guys are here wearing the team shirts which can be won at the end of each ride - Pink shirt is for Breast Cancer - Blue shirt for Prostate Cancer and the Yellow shirt is for Camp Quality so there are three charities which benefit from the money raised by the tour de cure.
The Team
Just before they started the first leg of the tour, they all lined up on the stage for photos (Im there) on the right - the first leg of the ride starts Federation Square and they ride to Cranbourne.
About to set them off - I have the gun in my hand and waiting to fire it so the 2008 Tour De Cure can get underway.
JAMES - an inspiration
James is Driving one of the support vehicles, darsly mum and I are riding along with him. James is an inspirational person and why he is doing this is because he wanted to do something to find a cure for cancer. James sat with darlsy mum and me and told us a most heart breaking story. Only just 6 months ago (September 27th 2007) James lost his beautiful wife Meegan to Bone Cancer and Brain tumor. He told us that she was first diagnosed 2 years ago and was prepared for her death. The day she passed away he said that she looked at him and said "I love you" and just fell asleep. WOW, this was only 6 months ago and he is now out there doing something to help with finding a cure. My darsly mum said she didn't know what it was like for him because I have defied the odds and I'm still here and darsly asked how he was coping and he said that Christmas was the hardest but I have to get on with my life and I saw articles about the Tour De Cure and I knew that is what I had to do. James would like to ride next year, although he is driving the support vehicle he is still doing something great for a great course and is an inspirational person. 
This was our first stop along the way to Cranbourne. As Lexus are the sponsor and they supplied the Support Vehicles we had to make a stop at LEXUS for a feed and some photos. 
What's this - resting - yep this was the lunch break along the way, I am sitting here with Joshua who is a great guy and is on his second Tour De Cure. SAM and JAY (Peaking)
Sam got the job of driving the truck this year - the truck has all the guys gear in it from Tyres, to equipment, drinks and all the clothing and lots more. I got out of the support vehicle and went on the next leg in the truck with Sam. 
More food - yep still lunch time, bit of a rest for the guys, stock up on fluids and you can see the cool support vehicle in the back ground (there are two of them) . 
Serious time - meeting before they head off on the next leg. We had a few bad spots where cars were not letting the riders in when roads became narrow so it became a little dangerous, but the guys were all fine and just needed a better strategy for the next leg as there are lots of trucks on the road and not everyone cares about cyclists on the roads - even though it is for a good course. 
We made it to Cranbourne, and we stopped at the local bowling alley, where all the guys and me had a game of bowls - it was so much fun. 
Back on the bikes after bowling and heading to the motel, where they can all have a shower and a good feed and a bit of a rest until the next day. 
This is JAMES I told you about who lost his wife to cancer - James was a great support vehicle driver for the entire day and did some great moves to stop cars to let the cyclists through so James won the PINK jersey at the end of the day - this means James has to wear the Jersey all day on the next leg. (go JAMES) .
JAY and support vehicle
What is JOSH doing?????????
The next Morning doing an interview
The three first day jersey winners
Next morning group photo - saying good bye to the Motel owners
HMMM - trying to figure out how the GSP works?????????
Our three winners all decked out for the next leg
Time to say good by - JAMES & GRANT 
Second support vehicle - ROBYN and RENAE
Time to set them off on the next leg 
The Tour De Cure - made it to SYDNEY - Tuesday 8th April (well done guys) a nine day gruelling journey. I wanted to say a huge thankyou to all the team, you are a wonderful bunch of people who are in my life for ever. I wanted you all to know that you are very lucky because you journey had a start and and and end (your journey finished), when you have cancer the journey never ends. In my life living with cancer it has been difficult, but when you come across a bunch of people such as the Tour De Cure Team, people who are just everday workers who give up their time to do something like this - it really touches my heart and it means so much to me. Not only have I had cancer, my life and darlsy 's life has been touched by cancer in so many ways. My darsly mums father was diagnosed with cancer, then her mother was diagnosed with cancer and then I was diagnosed with cancer and that is what makes my darsly mum the most special inspirational person I know. Three family memebers diagnosed together, what do you do, well my darlsy mum gave up everything to take care of me, her father and her mother. Her father passed away first, then her mother passed away - you would think that you could not go on anymore but darsly mum did, she was determined to keep me alive - she said NO WAY are all of my family going to be taken by cancer and she fought so hard for me. I get my strength from my darsly mum - she is a wonderful person, she never shows she is upset, she just gets stronger everyday and has the most positive attitude and that is what gets your through - strength - courage - determination and a positive attitude. We don't live the high life, darsly gave up everything, we don't have alot, but what we do have is each other, and we also have in our hearts the wonderful people from TOUR DE CURE who make living worth while. We will find a cure and next year is going to be even bigger and better and I have a goal, darlsy has a goal and we are going to achieve it.
The guys who rode from Melbourne to Sydney have raised $500,000 dollars, what an achievement, and you can still donate to the course just visit http://www.tourdecure.com.au/ and you can donate directly through the website and you can also see exactly what the guys achieved in the past 9 days of their journey.
THANK YOU ALL THE TEAM FROM TOUR DE CURE
JAY
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posted by *JAY* @ 3:27 pm
