Two and three wheeled flyin'

The CBD of Sydney is a fairly congested place. Riding a bike through it is nearly always an adventure. But the other weekend Sydney hosted the major Australian marathon event and very nearly shut down the entire CBD for its route! I started fantasizing about getting up early that morning and flying around the empty streets on my bike before the marathon started, until I received an email calling out for volunteers.

Apparently the 'wheelies' (men in wheelchairs) who were participating in the marathon needed escorts, and cyclists are the best suited for this role. But the email warned that the wheelies average almost 30 km/hr for the event and reach speeds of up to 50 km/hr, so it's not for the faint-of-heart. I responded without hesitation and found myself escorting the fastest marathon wheelie on the planet: Kurt Fearnley (his 3 paralympic gold medals back up this claim).

Kurt needed the assistance of two cyclists: one out front looking for potholes, and another nearer him relaying the information. This is because he's got his head down, pounding out a 28 km/hr pace with his arms. I have to say that I feel that I'm a fairly fit cyclist, but keeping up with Kurt for the duration of the marathon was taxing. And I have the advantage of leverage and gears! Clearly, Kurt is an amazing athlete.

Flying across the Harbour Bridge at 60 km/hr and through the empty streets of Sydney, while escorting a world class athlete, is definitely going down as one of my favorite experiences in Australia. I wish I had photos to share, but obviously taking pictures while keeping up with Kurt is quite impossible. However, since Kurt is such a renowned athlete and he set a new record for the Sydney marathon, there are plenty of photos and even videos floating around where you can spot a Cougs jersey flying by.