Day 6 - THE BIG DAY!

Team Itinerary Overview
Sihanoukville to Kampot

Cycling distance: 90km in extreme heat

Terrain: Mixture of country road and off-road
Team Spirit: Started excited and terrified, ended relieved and proud of their achievement 
Overnight in Kampot.

Inspired by a Barassi-like burst from former Pakenham star footballer Brian Paynter, the Windermere Adventure Challenge team took to the bikes for the largest cycling leg of the trip, a 90 kilometre trek from Sihanoukville to Kampot.

The ride started and finished in pouring rain, but the midday sun took its toll and several struggled in the leg leading up to lunch. It covered varied terrain – from major highways to dirt tracks – and weaved through the coast and river area of southern Cambodia.

Before we took to the bikes, though, there was a bit of unfinished business to attend to. Graeme Moore had reassumed the mantle of hero-maker and handed the sixth gold medal of the trip to Cath Sharp, by virtue of the fact that every time she was spotted in the New Hope orphanage, she had a child by the hand or in her arms.

“The place is just so well run,” Cath said, accepting the medal. “Everything seems to be covered. They have Cambodian staff looking after the children. It is so inclusive. “I’ll be going back there.”

While on the orphanage, Alison McHenry made a comment between blogs that is too good not to share. “I came to the orphanage thinking it was going to be awful, but it was wonderful,” she said. “It was devastating to leave. I think I stayed there too long, but didn’t stay long enough.”

It is fair to say there was a fair bit of apprehension among the team in the lead-up to the big ride. There hasn’t really been a time since arriving that at least someone has been carrying an illness or ailment and at one stage during the orphanage visit someone joked that it might be better to do the leg by relay – a bit under five kilometres each with the rest of the team encouraging from the bus. It was laughed off, but some thought it was a viable option.

Sensing a bit of doubt in team ranks, challenge veteran Brian ‘Swooper’ Paynter put on his best footy coach persona and delivered a pep talk that brought goosebumps all round. “This is our big day, this is what it’s all about, we’ve done the hard yards fundraising. Who is sick of barbecued sausages? Well, it’s match day, time to shine.”

He went through the line-up. Ann Selby at full-forward. “You’re the focal point,” he said. Simon Crowe was named at centre half-forward - “a Wayne Carey lookalike”, New Zealander Brooke Hayward was put in defence. “Being a Kiwi, you’re our best tackler. I want you to lay 12… each quarter!” “Where’s Meleea,” he said. “You’re a beautiful girl but today I want to you play ugly!”

Ross Cheesewright and James Wynne were demoted to the interchange bench, given that they slept in and kept the team waiting for 20 minutes. Everyone else was on the bus at the point of departure and Ann Selby decided to check their room. Both still sound asleep!

Clearly inspired by Brian’s words, the team handled the first 20 kilometre stretch in a breeze. Drenching rain certainly helped things. There’s no need to reach for the poncho or raincoat here – just let it drench you, because you will be bone dry soon enough when it clears.

The serenity was so fine that Shanae Brooks rode up alongside Brooke Tomlinson as she was belting out the tune What Makes You Beautiful. They finished it as a duet.

Graeme Moore was hi-fiving kids left, right and centre and engaging in conversation with stunned women on bikes as he would ride past, finishing the conversation with a handshake or hi-five.

The next 20 kilometre stretch came and went without incident, but the one after that, in sweltering midday heat, took its toll.

Gaylene Howe was experiencing dizzy spells and, also having a bit of trouble breathing, had to stop a couple of times. Some suggested the work on the dance floor with the tour guides the previous night must have taken it out of her.

She trooped on after the first stop but was soon on the side of the road again doubled over. Geoff Bainbridge came to the rescue, buying Coke and Sprite by the bagful from a nearby vendor and then showered her with his high tech pressure-packed camel back.

Sadly, it didn’t quite do the trick and Gaylene had to endure the ignominy of being the first person to seek the help of the support vehicle – albeit only for a three kilometre stretch for lunch – where a delightful spread of baguettes, chicken, beef and salad did the trick.

Krista Tomlinson was left questioning her choice of cycle gear over lunch, sporting a couple of sunburnt thighs. Again, it was Geoff Bainbridge to the rescue, delving into that trusty camelback and pulling out a spare pair of shorts. He was having a big day. At each stop, Geoff would grab everyone’s bandana and soak it in the ice water.

A carrot was dangled by the guides for the next leg of the journey – a 10 kilometre trek through some bumpy terrain and dodgy bridges – to a waterfall on the property owned by our chief guide Chenra. One of the bridges almost swallowed up scribe Garry Howe, who came off and when attempting to break his fall broke a section of the bridge and was left prone with his bike sitting on top of him and a leg dangling down towards the river. Brooke Tomlinson quickly pounced off her bike to lend assistance, as did Simon Crowe, but he was more interested in recreating the carnage for the sake of a photo. That was duly done. One team member cheekily suggested the load limit for the bridge was based on an average Asian man, not a portly westerner. That theory was blown out of the water when the bridge also claimed petite Brooke Hayward, who was lucky to escape with a few scratches, having done the whole ride in her Chinese safety boots (thongs).

The waterfall didn’t exactly turn out to be that – but the waterhole that did emerge in the wilderness was like an oasis. Twenty minutes soaking in that beautiful, clear river water had all the therapeutic qualities of a hot spa. Geoff Bainbridge undid a little of his earlier good work by stripping down to a level most considered a little inappropriate and his nickname briefly went from Little-G to Jock Man.

“He might have superpowers,” Brian Paynter offered. “But I think we’ll see that they are only little ones when he gets out!”

The last 20 kilometre stretch into Kampot was exciting and entertaining. It rained most of the way as team members wound through a back track along the river. The terrain proved a bit difficult for Sam Smith, who had not ridden a bike before the challenge and she hit the dirt several times, before bouncing up and riding off again. There was a story flying around the dinner table that she took out a couple of locals in one of the falls who clearly had the right of way, but Sam denies it.

By the time riders reached the hotel in Kampot, the speedometer read 86 kilometres for the day. Most were keen to clock the 90, so the team headed off for another four around town in teaming rain. Mission accomplished.

Olivia Lyon and Eva Foster loved the day and Olivia said team spirit came to the fore. “Even though we have ridden 90 kilometres, we are all refreshed and excited.”

Catherine Zulian rode the entire 90km with a smile on her face and high fived the team leaders “I loved every bit of it”.

Suellen Conway, who also had a couple of falls, agreed. “Everyone helped each other all day and no-one was left behind,” she said. Actually, that’s not entirely correct. Ross Cheesewright was engaged in a prolonged haggle over the purchase of a bee bee gun at one of the stops and looked up to see the riders and support crew heading off into the distance. He high-tailed it, gun safely in the backpack, and soon caught up.

The day ended as it began. Coach Paynter addressed the team at dinner, congratulating them on one of the greatest victories he had seen. “It was a wonderful team effort,” he said. He awarded the Norm Smith Medal to Alison McHenry, who has done a great job to date nailing each challenge with an aversion to Asian food.

Coach was describing all the reasons Windermere’s Carina Tomietto had done well out there today…but as she has no idea about football she just nodded as he spoke another language to her.

The coach then pointed to Brooke Tomlinson to lead a rousing rendition of the team song, without a hint of what that song may be, and she led the team off with a couple of verses of John Farnham’s The Voice.

It was off to bed early for most after a big day in preparation for tomorrow’s ride to the coastal town of Kep and a trip out to Rabbit Island.

Quote of the day came from Brooke Hayward, whose masters thesis was on the prevalence and danger of people sharing medications.

“I enjoyed the casual sharing of medication by everyone.”

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Garry Howe – Editor Star News Group
Carina Tomietto and Ann Selby – Windermere Adventure Team Leaders