Terry Dennehy will ride 25 kilometres from Musgrave Park at this year’s MS Brissie to the Bay on Sunday 17 June in celebration of his 80th birthday.
Hoping to raise $1.3 million to support Queenslanders with debilitating central nervous system condition multiple sclerosis (MS), Terry says his inspiration comes from wife Annabelle, who was diagnosed with MS 18 years ago. He says he will never forget the fear he felt in his heart when the pair heard the words “you have MS”.
“I looked for some way I could help Annabelle and all her fellow MS sufferers,” said Terry. “This year I am celebrating my 80th birthday and because I am in reasonable health I want to go out and ride to help those less fortunate. The old bloke has enough left in his legs to do the 25 kilometre ride and I would urge others to have a go too. After all my bike is 30 years old which is older than a lot of the riders!”
The MS Brissie to the Bay bike ride will celebrate its 28th birthday this year, celebrating with tandem bike rides, social rides, and rides for avid cyclists. Courses range from 10 kilometres around the Brisbane riverside to 25 kilometres to Balmoral, 50 kilometres to Wynnum and the 100 kilometre ride to Wellington Point and Cleveland. The annual event is one of Brisbane’s biggest and best charity bike rides, with more than 5,500 cyclists expected to ride this year. MS Brissie to the Bay ambassador Katie Mattin from Nova 106.9FM will join the ride, having lived with MS for nine years following diagnosis at just 25 years of age.
MS impacts more young people in Australia than any other chronic, progressive neurological disease. More than 25,600 Australians have MS, including 3700 Queenslanders, and with no known cause or cure and symptoms varying significantly between those diagnosed, MS is often thought of as an invisible condition.
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