WORLD'S CHAMP JOINS RIDE4RETINA

Jason English, world 24 hour MTB champion joined the Ride4Retina team today, as they pedalled out of Port Macquarie. He showed his prowess on the tandem by piloting Big John (which is a big ask!) Thanks for joining us today mate. Check him out in CYCLING AUSTRALIA. Photo shows Jason in front of the powerhouse John Domandl. What a team. (This is TEAM TANDEM.)

 Casualties Coffee shop invited the team to pop in for a cuppa and brekky. Great folk. If you're in Port.... go for it.

 Gee, I must've taklen my helmet off for this shot! Here I am with Matt on the red bike. Wow! Thanks for letting me try the bike out Paul.

 Paul and Matt. The red tandem.

 Troy and John with Elton and Lindy behind. John reckons Troy is one of the best pilots ever!!! Wonder what he said to Jason earlier in the day....

 Ninja. What a guy! He's the Ginger Ninja. Don't ask me to start on this guy..... maybe I'll tell you on Satutrday.

 Matt got interviewed by Renee from NBN. The reason for the ride is to raise awareness of Retinal blindness and hopefully some funding will help the research into inherited blindness.

 Even GK had a chat with Renee. Lovely lass.

Captain Matt has macular dystrophy. Though blind, Matt can operate a computer quite well.
Other conditions include:

• retinitis pigmentosa
• macular degeneration
• Best's disease
• Butterfly-shaped dystrophy
• Stargardt's disease
• bullseye dystrophy
• central areola choroidal dystrophy
• chloroideremia
• usher's syndrome
• Laurence-Moon syndrome
• Bardet-Biedl syndrome

RETINA AUSTRALIA (NSW) INC provides info, peer support and raises funds for research for these conditions.

bnn

Great BBQ put on by Port Macquarie's SUNDOWNER BREAKWALL Van Park Tuesday night. Thanks guys. Then this morning we had brekky at Casualties (as I explained.) Then Taree via Laurieton. Lunch there and then 30 km to Nabiac. The Nabiac Hotel were ready to welcome the riders and join them for a celebratory drink. I stayed in Taree to pick up the wheel that BOURKE'S BIKES were building. Thanks guys. Peter did a great job. Thanks Peter and James. (I shoulda bought a bike there.... they were such great folk. Wonder if Fay would've twigged?)
We stayed at BUNDA CREEK LODGE. This is a ripper! You should check it out.And we were fed by Lorraine Formston! Wow! We ate very very well. Thanks Lorraine. She's one of our roadies and lives in Nabiac. She's also Matt's Mum.
Tomorrow we're off to Newcastle.