Biking 50km a day solo
Jason Craig (front) is biking 50km every day to fundraise alongside his colleagues. Pictured, from left: Karl Williscroft, Dion Edgar, Tanya McMurtrie, Carl Babe, Cara Jameson, Kerryn Wratt, Matt Wilkinson and Deborah Murray. Photo: Sara Hollyman.
A Richmond man has been biking 50 kilometres every day during March to raise much needed funds for the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter.
Jason Craig, investment advisor at Craigs Investment Partners, also has the backing of the company who are matching donations dollar for dollar.
His work colleagues across the country have also joined. Collectively, Jason and Top of the South ‘Cirque Du Sore Legs’ have raised more than $8000.
“This is my fifth year of doing it,” Jason says. “I’m usually on my bike at 5.30am and I’m not a morning person.”
He has been cycling his daily 50km predominantly on his gravel bike.
“It’s one where I can stay off the road. Riding at 5.30am, it’s still really dark and the roads not the safest place to ride, it’s good not having to worry about cars. In the mornings I’ll go out round Rabbit Island on the cycle trail. If I do one lap of Rabbit Island it’s 44km, if I do two it’s 55km.”
He says he tries to complete his 50km every day, but a motorbiking trip round the South Island meant he had to make up an extra 250km before his trip near the end of March.
“If you miss a day it compounds and that comes very quick. It’s much easier to try and do 50km when you’re tired than it is to do 100. You might’ve had a day off, but you’ve still got to do it.”
Jason’s colleague Tanya McMurtrie has been training for a marathon so has also been racking up the kilometres pounding the pavement.
She says one of the team in Blenheim is a surfer, so surfed 50 waves in a day as his contribution.
Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust manager, Paula Muddle, says unfortunately she hasn’t been able to complete the challenge this year.
“But Craigs have really taken it on and being super competitive. The dollar for dollar at the end of the financial year is a no-brainer, people can essentially double their donation.”
She says the weather events over the past year have shown how valuable and needed the service is.
“It’s terrible what’s happened up north and what happened with our flooding but it proves that the only way in and out is helicopters, we are just proud to be able to support those communities when they need us.
Donate to Jason's efforts here. Your donation will be matched by Craigs if made by 31 March.