Storm Hope
- National: 451st
- State: 118th in Vic
My Story
🚴♀️🚴♂️ We're back for our 6th year of the Great Cycle Challenge! 🚴♂️🚴♀️
It's hard to believe this is our sixth year taking on this challenge together. What started in 2021 as a way to support kids fighting cancer has become part of our family's story.
Over the last six years, we've: 💛 Cycled an incredible 1,578km 💛 Raised $6,815 for kids fighting cancer 💛 Welcomed two beautiful children 💛 Learned how to ride bikes 💛 Moved interstate and continued the challenge in a new home.
There have been plenty of early mornings, sore legs, swooping magpies, unexpected falls, and countless memories made along the way. Through every kilometre, we've been motivated by the incredible courage of children and families facing cancer.
This year, the Hope family is aiming bigger than ever, with a goal of riding 350km and raising enough to push our overall fundraising total past $7,500.
Every dollar raised helps fund life-saving cancer research, support programs for families, and brings hope to kids facing the toughest fight of their lives.
If you're able to support us, we'd be incredibly grateful. Whether it's through a donation, sharing our page, or cheering us on from the sidelines, every contribution helps us pedal a little further and make a bigger impact.
Thank you for being part of our journey over the past six years and for helping us turn every kilometre into hope. 💛🚴♀️🚴♂️
#GreatCycleChallenge #RideForKidsCancer #6YearsStrong #HopeFamilyRide 💛🚲
My Legacy
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509 km Ridden$2,523 Raised2021
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122 km Ridden$367 Raised2022
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512 km Ridden$1,739 Raised2023
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233 km Ridden$1,134 Raised2024
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201 km Ridden$1,052 Raised2025
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351 km Ridden$1,502 Raised2026
My Challenge
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19.1 km ride - The last ride for 2026 - Friday, October 30, 2026
Logged this ride 1 day ago -
2.6 km ride - Now back home from Pilates - Friday, October 30, 2026
Logged this ride 1 day ago - View on Strava -
2.5 km ride - Ride to Pilates - Friday, October 30, 2026
Logged this ride 1 day ago - View on Strava -
20.2 km ride - Lach lunch time ride - Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Logged this ride 4 days ago -
22.0 km ride - Lach lunch ride - Monday, October 26, 2026
Logged this ride 5 days ago -
🚴♂️💛 GREAT CYCLE CHALLENGE 2026: WEEK FOUR UPDATE 💛🚴♀️
26 Oct 2026Week Four: The Home Stretch! 🏁
First of all, as always with these weekly updates, a HUGE thank you! ❤️
We continue to be absolutely blown away by the support we've received so far. Thanks to your generosity, we're edging ever closer to our all-time fundraising goal of $10,000! 🤞💛
Let's give it one final push this week and see how close we can get!
Every donation, no matter the size, helps support children and families facing challenges far greater than sore legs, strong winds, gout, and flat tyres. So let's keep the wheels turning and the donations rolling! 🚴♂️💨
We are now in the home stretch of our 6th Great Cycle Challenge journey. With just 6 days remaining, we still have 85km to ride to reach our goal of 350km.
That's a whopping 15km per day! 😅
❤️ A Reflection from Us
Lach and I have spent a lot of time reflecting on how challenging this year has been when it comes to finding time to ride. Between parenting duties, busy schedules, and limited support, fitting cycling into our days has not been easy.
In a way, it has made us even prouder of what we've managed to achieve and the funds we've raised for such an important cause. As difficult as it can be to squeeze rides into already packed days, we're incredibly grateful that we're able to do it and, most importantly, that our children are healthy.
That perspective keeps us pedalling.
🚴♂️ Lunchtime with Lach
Lachy has really embraced the idea of lunchtime rides to squeeze in as many kilometres as possible.
Despite battling gout, rocking the lycra, and enduring the occasional cycling-glasses fashion critique, he continues to push through questionable looks and middle-aged health issues for the cause. 😂
The commitment is admirable. The lycra is... debatable.
🚴♀️ The Misadventures of Storm
At this point, I really should have known this was coming because it seems to happen every single year.
Feeling motivated to smash out a ride, I got about 1km down the road before my bike started making strange noises. I called Lach and headed home, where we discovered we'd forgotten the tyres were a little flat from the previous ride. No problem. Tyres pumped, confidence restored, off I went.
Determined to be adventurous, I decided to ride somewhere completely new, tackling roads and heading towards a café I'd heard good things about.
About three-quarters of the way there, my body and mind started questioning every life decision that had led me to this moment.
Why is this so hard?!
Is it the wind?
Is it the heat? (Nearly 30°C!)
Is it the hundreds of flies?
Am I just incredibly unfit?
Despite my growing concerns, I kept going, abandoning my podcast in favour of dramatic motivational workout music.
Eventually, I reached the café completely defeated and wondering how things had gone so disastrously wrong. The lovely staff took one look at me and kindly gave me water and a muffin on the house. I must have looked like a drowned rat that had somehow wandered in from the desert. 😭😂
Convinced there was absolutely no way I was making it home, I called the rescue team (Lach).
As he loaded my bike up, he casually said:
"Hmm... your front tyre's flat."
WHAT?!
After pumping it up before leaving, there had apparently been a hole the entire time, and it had slowly gone flat again during the ride.
The strange mix of relief and annoyance was overwhelming.
Maybe it wasn't me after all.
Maybe I wasn't dramatically unfit.
Maybe I'd simply been struck once again by the annual curse...
🚲 The Flat Tyre of Storm Curse™️️
🎵 What's Keeping Us Pedalling This Week?
🚴 Lachy: 🎧 RTG, Cyberpund soundtrack and JID
🚴♀️ Storm: 🎧 Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone and Mamma Mia Soundtrack
💛 Thank You
Thank you again for every donation, kind message, and word of encouragement.
If you'd like to support us and help kids fighting cancer, we'd be incredibly grateful for any contribution, big or small.
🚴♂️💨 Let's finish strong! 💛💛💛
Posted 5 days ago -
10.1 km ride - The hardest ride ever! All roads, into the wind and all fly!!! - Friday, October 23, 2026
Logged this ride 8 days ago - View on Strava -
15.6 km ride - Lach is fast! - Thursday, October 22, 2026
Logged this ride 9 days ago -
14.0 km ride - Lach lunch ride - Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Logged this ride 11 days ago -
🚴♂️💛 GREAT CYCLE CHALLENGE 2026: WEEK THREE UPDATE 💛🚴♀️
19 Oct 2026🎂 Week Three: The Post-Birthday Celebration Struggles
First of all, as always with these weekly updates, a HUGE thank you! ❤️
We continue to be absolutely blown away by the support we've received so far. Thanks to your generosity, we've raised $1,353 this year and an incredible $8,168 over the past six years!
That's a huge achievement, but we're not done yet. Can we push a little closer to that all-time goal of $10,000? 🤞💛
Every donation, no matter the size, helps support children and families facing challenges far bigger than sore legs, strong winds, post-birthday blues, and a complete lack of motivation. So let's keep the wheels turning and the donations rolling! 🚴♂️💨
🍰 The Post-Birthday Slump
Every year we face the same challenge: getting back on the bike after celebrating both my birthday and Billie's birthday.
Let's be honest... it's pretty hard riding a bike after spending a week enthusiastically stuffing your face with birthday cake and lollies. 🎂😂
But alas, the kilometres don't ride themselves, so back on the bike we go!
The Return
After a week of birthday celebrations and questionable nutritional choices, I somehow convinced myself that I was still capable of riding long distances.
In fact, I decided I would prove to Lachlan that I could keep up with his cycling distances.
...
Needless to say, the mind is a powerful convincer of utter delusion. 😅
Did I complete one of my longest rides? ✅ Yes.
Did I make it home? ✅ Also yes.
Did I make it home on my bike? ❌ Absolutely not.
Just like Lachlan the week before, I eventually found myself making the dreaded rescue call:
"I won't be making it home, and I'm going to need a lovely rescue."
Thankfully I at least had a pretty nice view while waiting for my support crew to arrive. 😂
Meanwhile... Lachlan
Lachlan decided to take the path of complete smugness this week.
Not only did he ride the exact route that defeated me, he then rode all the way back home as well.
Was I slightly petty about this achievement? Yes.
Was I also incredibly impressed and grateful? Also yes... but please don't tell him that.
To make things even more ridiculous, he managed all of this while dealing with gout in his foot.
What even is gout? Is this what old age looks like? 😂
🚴♀️ Welcome Cyclist Ellis!
As the week came to an end, we recruited a very enthusiastic new cyclist...
Welcome to the team, Ellis! 🎉🚴♀️
As she powered through the park and around the streets, I couldn't help but admire her determination to be part of the challenge.
I'll admit there may have been a proud tear while watching her ride around at roughly the same speed I've managed over the last few rides. 😂
And yes, before anyone asks...
I will absolutely be counting her kilometres.
📊 Challenge Progress
Kilometres Ridden
🚴♀️ Ellis: 400m
🚴 Storm: 66km
🚴 Lachlan: 179km
🎵 What's Keeping Us Pedalling This Week?
🚴 Lachy: 🎧Voidborne terrors (podcast)
🚴♀️ Storm: 🎧 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (narrated by Stephen Fry)
🚴♀️ Ellis: Mum and Dad's encouragement (plus a little race against Jocky the dog 🐶)
💛 Thank you again for every donation.
We've got just under two weeks to go, plenty more kilometres to ride, and hopefully a few more donations to help us get closer to that magical $10,000 all-time fundraising milestone!
If you'd like to support us and help kids fighting cancer, we'd be incredibly grateful for any contribution, big or small.
🚴♂️💨 Let's finish strong! 💛💛💛
Posted 12 days ago
My Sponsors
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Kick Cancer's Butt Day Matching Donation
“Here's your matched donation from our generous supporters. THANK YOU so much for your awesome efforts to kick cancer's butt!”
$357.08Received this donation 24 days ago -
Grace Gonzalez
“Good on you Storm, such a great cause! ♥️”
$103.50Received this donation 28 days ago
Storm
“Hi Grace, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊💕 Feel free to give me a honk if you see me riding in the area with my Orange shirt 😂🧡”
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Kate Richardson
“Great work Storm ❤️”
$103.50Received this donation 29 days ago
Storm
“Hi Kate, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊💕 I hope you are kicking goals (or I guess kicking goals away) at Masters 🏑💛”
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Toulla Polycarpou
“Well done to you and your family for being part of such a great cause ! I hope you will reach and go beyond your goal this years (with less scratches and aches)”
$103.50Received this donation 29 days ago
Storm
“Hi Toulla, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊 thus far no scratches but the aches are starting to visit more frequently 😂”
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Vaughn Dumas
“Well done you two. We are so incredibly proud of you.”
$103.50Received this donation 24 days ago
Storm
“Hi Dad! Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊💕”
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Andonnia Gotsi
“Go Girl - such a good cause.”
$51.75Received this donation 9 days ago
Storm
“Thank you so much ☺️”
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Carol Hope
$51.75Received this donation 24 days ago
Storm
“Hi Carol, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊💕”
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Anonymous
$51.75Received this donation 24 days ago
Storm
“Hi Anonymous, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊💕”
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Gareth Johnson
“Great work by the fam for a great cause! Shame about the fadeout after a day in the office yesterday.”
$51.75Received this donation 24 days ago
Storm
“Hi Gareth, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊💕”
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Anonymous
“Great cause... I hope the wind is always at your back :-)”
$51.75Received this donation 30 days ago
Storm
“Hi Anonymous Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊 let’s just say the wind was not our friend in week one 😂”
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Anonymous
$51.75Received this donation 25 days ago
Storm
“Hi Anonymous Thanks so much for the support 😊 keep checking back in each week for our weekly update and rides!”
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Sam Blake
“All the best for a great cause.”
$51.75Received this donation 25 days ago
Storm
“Hi Sam, Thanks so much for the support 😊 , we needed it with the bad winds today! Keep checking back in each week for our weekly update and rides! 💛”
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Damien Long
$50Received this donation 30 days ago
Storm
“Hi Damien, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊”
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Lylia Pham
“keep up with the amazing work !”
$50Received this donation 1 day ago
Storm
“Thank you ☺️”
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Oupa and Ouma
“Well done to Storm, Lachlan and the little ones!”
$46.58Received this donation 1 day ago
Storm
“Thanks 💕”
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Vasavi Jonnala
$31.05Received this donation 30 days ago
Storm
“Hi Vasavi, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊.”
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Sandra Alger
“Well done team Hope !!”
$25.88Received this donation 24 days ago
Storm
“Hi Sandy, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going 😊💕”
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Anonymous
$20.70Received this donation 30 days ago
Storm
“Hi Anonymous, Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going!”
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Jo King
“Go you good thing!”
$20.70Received this donation 29 days ago
Storm
“Hi Jo! Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going! Can’t wait to show you all my new biking mishaps and funny memes! 😊💛”
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Anonymous
$20.70Received this donation 30 days ago
Storm
“Hi Anonymous Thanks so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Keep checking in each week for our weekly blog updates on how we’re going!”