As the date of the Bowral Classic nears we have been chatting to some of our top fundraisers to hear their stories and hopefully motivate the current entrants and inspire the rest of you out there to do something beyond yourself and challenge your limits.
This time we caught up with Craig Marsh – A keen cyclist and Bowral local, we let him tell us a bit about himself and his preparation for the big day.
- Hi Craig. Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself.
Originally from Melbourne I came to Sydney to work 15 years ago. Spent 7 years in Sydney and then moved to Bowral with my wife Janet and newborn daughter Isabella.
I established a publishing and communications business in Sydney 12 years ago called C3 Content and work in Sydney 4 days per week.
One of the reasons we moved to Bowral was I had a sudden health scare which resulted in a big operation that slowed me up for a while. So after recovering we thought about seeking a better quality of life and as we were expecting a baby we thought that was the time to move to the Southern Highlands.
We had some concerns about the move and me continuing to work in Sydney but it’s been 8 years now and we love it here. I look forward to coming home as living in the Highlands is like being on holidays. We have plenty of room down here and a large garden, which keeps us busy. We love walking our border collies and having friends and family down for weekends.
We also spend time in Melbourne where I have two older children, David and Laura. In fact I just got back spending the weekend with them and watching our beloved Collingwood lose by one point to Hawthorn at the MCG.
- How did you find out about the Bowral Classic event?
I have always enjoyed riding my bike since being in the Highlands but it has been a relaxation thing where we ride around the river pathway through Burradoo and do a maximum 20 kilometers.
I have family members that are serial exercise ‘over performers’ in ultra marathons and elite cycling events like the 3 Peaks. Recently one of them has changed from running to cycling due to sore knees and he suggested we do the Bowral Classic. He registered for the 160km event and after I looked it up I thought I’d have a go at the 90km Midi Classic.
So I am 4 weeks into a training program and trying to get some kilo’s off with a view to finishing on or under 4 hours. So far so good doing between 100-150km per week over 4 rides. I just rode my best ride ever at 80km in 3.5 hours, which was a pleasant surprise.
I had to change my gear cluster from a 23 to 28 tooth as I realised quickly I am not as good as I thought on the hills! At 190cm and 110kg I am definitely in the Clydesdale class of rider.
- Why have you chosen the Dr. Chris O’Brien’s Lifehouse organisation to raise funds for?
One of the deciding factors when considering entering the Bowral Classic was that I could raise money for Dr Chris O’Briens Lifehouse. I watched this amazing doctor on the television RPA program for years helping people and talking about the Lifehouse concept.
In the last couple of years my sister in law and more recently one of our closest friends were diagnosed with breast cancer. Both have been incredibly brave and inspiring through their personal battles. I am going to ride with both their pictures on my bike and use their strength for inspiration.
Our friend was treated at Lifehouse and I had the opportunity to sit with her while she was having her ‘chemo’ and was really impressed with the facility and the staff. Lifehouse is an inspired concept that makes life a little easier for so many people at a time when their lives are really difficult.
I saw this from a personal experience and knew that riding 90 kilometres on a bike was nothing compared to what cancer patients have to deal with and that my ride could even do some good in a small way by raising some money for Lifehouse.
- How much have you raised so far for the charity?
I set a goal to raise $1,000 and due to the generosity of my sponsors I have exceeded that already and have raised $1,414 to date. We have less than 8 weeks to go but I am hopeful now of getting to $2,000.
- How have you been proactive about raising funds for Lifehouse?
Basically I have used the functions of GoFundraise to email my friends, family and business contacts to explain my ride and the charity I am riding for. I have sent 2 rounds of emails so far and plan to blast away a couple of more times to hit my new goal.
- Tell us how you have been preparing for the Bowral Classic ride through the Southern Highlands.
I decided to Google a training program to put some k’s into my legs in a structured and progressive way. I found a 12-week program for the Victorian ‘Around the Bay’ 100km ride and have been sticking to this rigidly.
This program is for a flat course ride so I have been incorporating hills into the distances on the program, which is not hard in the Highlands! Hills are definitely my achilles heal where the weight vs power ratio slow me up. I have been training on my own as I work in Sydney and with my family time I’m time poor. Also I’m not an early starter in these colder months! I am enjoying my training though and have registered for the ‘Sydney to Gong’, which is a couple of weeks after the Bowral Classic event.
Hopefully when I am fit I can find a group of guys my age and ability to train with without holding them back.
- Any final words to encourage people to donate, raise funds for their chosen charity or in preparation for the Bowral Classic ride?
The Bowral Classic looks to be a winning innovation where many people are going to ride and get involved.
I would encourage anyone who wants to participate to register, as there is a ride distance to challenge everyone. There really are no downsides: get fitter, have fun, raise some money for a good cause of your choosing or even become a volunteer for the day and help with the management of the event.
Any way you look at it it’s a very satisfying thing to do.
We would like to thank Craig for his time and wish him the best of luck on the Bowral Classic ride! To donate to Craig visit his fundraising page here, bowralclassic.gofundraise.com.au/page/CraigMarsh.
To make your own fundraising page visit www.bowralclassic.com.au/charity
