Richie the Lionhearted….
A rider with us before. A friend, a comrade in the saddle, as brave as a lion. We want to support the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse who supported Richie and his family through their toughest times and make a difference to a very worthy cause. Please read Richie’s words below….
“The Lionheart….
Richard I, was the second son of Henry, who rose to be Monarch of the Plantagenet empire in his mid-twenties. Richard led the 3rd great crusade and was renowned as a warrior and leader, loved by his subjects and revered by his enemies. A King of England that never spoke the language. A King that never shied from a challenge, or a worthy cause:
There is no greater champion than Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in the battle against cancer.
Chris O’Brien Lifehouse is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the treatment and care of those people and their
families,
affected by this insidious indiscriminate disease.
I know. I’m one.
So, take up the challenge – ride with Sam and I and become the cycling warrior you always wanted to be.
Follow in the footsteps of the Lionheart, and join the crusade against cancer; be inspired by the people you meet, the places you see, the challenges you’ll face and the lives upon which you will have a positive impact.”
Richie.
On the 9th October 2018, after a 2 year battle with cancer, Richard Johnson succumbed to this horrible disease. He had been given 3 months to live but, lionhearted to the end, lasted 2 years. What was clear from every discussion with him and his family was how amazing the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse was in its support of him. While Lionheart is running as a tour for Bike Odyssey we will continue to donate to them. For every rider who signs up to the Lionheart Odyssey, we will donate $500 to the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. There are no obligations on the riders, this is purely a donation from Bike Odyssey.
The Chris O’Brien Lifehouse is a not-for-profit, independent comprehensive cancer centre, offering everything a cancer patient needs in one place, including advanced surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, clinical trials, research, education, complementary therapies and psychosocial support.
We donated $3000 in 2018 and $4000 in 2019.