August 2013 will be a month that the family and friends of talented Jockey Simone Montgomerie will never forget. Simone’s tragic passing after a fall during a race is a reality that all too many jockeys and their families have had to face. While the tragedy has been a blow to many, Simone’s family and friends will use her memory in July 2016 to make a difference within the racing community. Starting in Streaky Bay a group of Simone’s family and friends will cycle 3010km to the Fannie Bay Racecourse in Darwin. The funds raised from the ride will go to the National Jockey Trust who has supported Simone’s family through this tough period.
Blackchrome are more than happy to be involved with Simone’s Ride, supplying the team with personalised polo shirts and assisting with their cycling apparel. To find out more about preparation and motivation behind the ride, we spoke to Simone’s sister Brooke Cupples who has been heavily involved with the organisation of the ride.
Some of the Simone’s Ride team at the Port Lincoln Cup, Ryan Montgomerie, Peter Montgomerie, Brooke Cupples, Jeffery Mullan & Levi Smith.
This is quite the journey you are embarking on, how long has the group been preparing for this ride?
We have only been preparing for the ride since August 2015. Some of us didn’t start until after that, but before this none of us were riders. We all only just purchased our first ever road bike since deciding to do the ride in August.
How many people do you have participating in the ride?
At the moment we have about 12 riders that will be there from start to finish. We have some joining in for sections along the way, but 12 main riders.
How long has it taken to plan this event? And how have you gone about generating publicity for the ride?
We have slowly been working away at planning the ride since august. Planning accommodation, meals, support vehicles. It’s a slow process, but we are getting there. Social media has been great for publishing the event. Once it gets out there we have had radio, newspapers & a few television programs come to us. For us it’s about the reason why we are doing it more so than getting a lot of publicity, although that does help when it comes to support.
The inspiration behind Simone’s Ride, Simone Montgomerie
In terms of preparation what different types of training have you used to prepare?
We are all complete amateurs, so to begin with it was all about getting ‘bike’ fit. Getting our bodies conditioned so we can sit on a bike without our butts hurting. Most of the riders were not physically fit beforehand, so the aim was to get fit first, then go from there. We also focus on core strength, and endurance, so doing those longer rides.
How big of factor has mental preparation been in the lead up to this ride?
The mental preparation is a hard one. Because we don’t really have any idea of what we have ourselves in for till the day we start. But mentally it is going to be huge, but everyone that is riding knows and loves Simone, and I believe that when you do something from the heart, it takes control of the mind.
There are a lot of inspiring factors linked to this ride, personally what is the biggest source of motivation for you?
Simone, her love for what she did, the love we have for her and knowing she died doing what she loved. I want to support anyone in any area of their life to do what they love, that’s why the National Jockeys Trust is so important to us. Not only did they help our family through the toughest time of our life, especially Simone’s daughter Kodah, who was 5 at the time, but they support jockeys in tough times, to help them never give up doing what they love. I’m grateful that Simone died doing what she loved, even if she lived a short life.
How has Blackchrome supported this event? Do you feel their contribution has been beneficial to the ride?
Travis from Blackchrome has been wonderful to us, in helping us get organised for this ride, considering we didn’t even know what riding gear we would really need. They have been amazing through the design process, and an absolute pleasure to work with.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us Brooke, we wish you and your family all the best for the ride. To find out more about the ride or how you can show your support, visit their website at http://www.cyclingforsimone.com/
