100km Movember Charity Marathon

Get Movin in Movember!

Marcus Ingles a standout fellow is a pillar to his community and family decided that this year and his personal situation won’t stop him from moving, and doing what he loves, which is challenging himself to be better and living to his fullest. Before his personal circumstances arose earlier this year, he clung to his hobby of mountain climbing, which gave him the freedom and fearlessness to seek higher places and mountainous terrain. An avid adventurer Marcus physically challenged himself to do amazing and unique feats, but now regulated to a mobility scooter he decided that won’t deter him, but motivate him.

For his Movember Challenge, Marcus decided for his personal and physical challenge this month against sun, heat, exhaustion, and his personal situation, that he will do a 100km marathon on his mobility scooter for prostate cancer awareness; for his father, a prostate cancer survivor who had battled and won against such a terminal ailment.

Planning for the Marathon

Marcus planning for the first-ever mobility scooter marathon on the Gold Coast decided he’d contact Scooterland based at Ashmore to assist him on this endeavor. He had planned to use 3 mobility scooters, averaging his runs for each mobility scooter at least 35km per vehicle.  Fortunately, with support from Scooterland and their professional team, they helped modify a 20-year mobility scooter that used to run lead-acid batteries into specially modified lithium-powered batteries. This greatly improved his travel range and power to weight ratio for his mobility scooter. Taking a whopping 38% off the battery’s weight, helped him on some difficult terrain, especially going uphill and down. But that wasn’t the primary reason for him to swap different battery types, it was for the distance. Only a Scooterland’s Lithium-Ion powered battery can run that far of a distance without being hindered by limited spacing and weight. Scooterland supplied by Leander International a partner company, provided a new and efficient type of lithium-ion batteries, specially modified for mobility aid scooters.

Ready, Set, Start!

So taking a single mobility scooter on the 29th of November, Marcus decided he would commit and challenge himself to the one-man challenge. Waking earlier in the morning, he took off from Helensvale, ready to start his 100km trek. After Helensvale, he reached Upper Coomera, then straight to Paradise Point. After crossing runaway bay reaching Harbour Town, then to Southport to go left to SeaWorld. Reaching Broadbeach, at 1 PM, he garnered up to 63.08 km at an estimated time of 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Crossing Benihana Steak House he reached Mermaid Waters. With already such a long distance, at 2 PM, he was still committed to finishing his 100 Kilometres run.  Turning right on Broadbeach Waters, he headed to Ashmore then to Southport. At Olsen Rd, his Mobility Scooter ran out of juice. Calling our assistance as support for his Charity Cause, Scooterland drove to his location to swap out his battery for him to finish the final few miles of his marathon.

He drove approximately 82KM at that point with nearly 11 hours of travel time. Due to the high incline, and the varied terrain on his marathon, his mobility scooter’s upgraded lithium parts successfully helped lead him to this point. After swapping out to freshly charged Li-Ion batteries; like a formula one driver, Marcus headed out, with Scooterland wishing him off for his final few miles to reach his goal.

Here are Marcus’ own words for the people that fundraised for his charity.

“Hi Graham, a huge thank you for all your support, without your support I would not have been able to complete the challenge and raise the money that I did for men’s health. I have sent a personalised version of this email to everyone who gave money to support the cause, as evidence of my completion of my promised challenge. I have mentioned you personally and I truly hope you get some new business from it, who knows? I am a big believer in Karma and you have been so good to me that I truly hope karma sends you good vibes in return. I’m also sending a more generic version to all my health are team so maybe some business will come from that. Who knows?

Anyway, thank you.”

 

An interesting read, when you have time.

I did promise to do a physical challenge if I was able to reach my fundraising target. I am excited to inform you all that I exceeded my fundraising goal but less excited about being faced with completing a 100 km mobility scooter ride around the Gold Coast, as promised. On Friday the 3rd of December I completed my physical challenge. If you are interested in how the physical challenge went, please read below. If not, another huge thank you.

The Preparation

Like most things in life I tend to underestimate challenges until it is too late, but what I have learned to do only recently to compensate is to prepare but to overpack. So at least I have everything I need to stay safe if things do go wrong.

So it all began at 4.30 Friday morning when I finished packing, ready for my day. The scooter was about 20 kg heavier than my provisions for the day.
The scooter of choice was a trusted rental scooter called the Meteor, provided by Scooterland, who has been a massive support for this Movember fundraising challenge. The meteor was chosen for its speed and during practice over the last few months – just doing life – it has proven to be a sturdy reliable scooter.

The only modification needed was the upgraded battery system, provided by Scooterland. Which was designed to do close to 100km without charge, also designed to keep me on the road and not having to circle Scooterland every few hours to change batteries or scooter, which was a clever idea from Scooterland, also may be designed to keep me away from the shop every few hours.

Whatever the motive, Scooterland put in 2 powerful, newly designed by Leander International being 2 x 48Amp/hr Lithium batteries.

The planned route was methodically chosen, the night before. But three landmarks were chosen which would take me close to my goal of 100 km.

Why a Mobility Scooter?

Many many months ago now, back in April, I was told by doctors that I couldn’t drive a car anymore, due to my inability to move my lower limbs with control, due to my diagnosed MS. A decision I didn’t question, because I tested their decision by playing Daytona, a classic racing simulator game that I had mastered over the years in the Time zone and I couldn’t keep the car off the barriers, I spent 2 minutes banging off cars and barriers and realized it was because of my inability to control my legs and feet sufficiently, so good call to the Doctors.

After I had mourned my loss of perceived freedom, I rented my first mobility scooter from Scooterland in April, with the help of my big brother, and over the preceding months I trailed nearly every scooter in the Scooterland rental fleet,
So the scooter became my new life, my new freedom, and a new challenge.

Every scooter ride is a challenge as sidewalks can be bumpy, sloped, and sometimes impassable. So you have to sometimes invent new ways, bumping over grass slopes, negotiating traffic, and generally being prepared to be unprepared. The unknown. Not in a life and death sense like a kayak in a canyon but it could be argued that traveling along the side of a busy Brisbane road because there is no adequate path, gets the adrenalin going nonetheless. So, because every ‘new’ ride is a challenge, 100km worth of 1 giant ‘new’ ride would be the ultimate challenge. So, the idea was born and would be the perfect support challenge for my Movember 2021 campaign.

The Challenge

I began at 5.30 by traveling to the further most northerly and westerly point on the Planned route, Dreamworld. Bleary-eyed but ready to go.

Still half asleep at this point but passing over the M1 woke me up a bit.

From there I traveled towards hope island, past Sanctuary Cove, and to my first toilet stop at Paradise point. Don’t worry, I will not report on every toilet stop, however at times during the 12 plus hours on the scooter, toilet breaks did become a high light.

From Paradise point, I made a slight change from my planned route and headed for harbor town. Only a few hours into the challenge it became glaringly aware that I could not live with my mistake of forgetting to pack my sunglasses. So, a quick stop for a cheap pair of sunnies and I was back on track by heading to the Broadwater and traveling past Charis, Broadwater Parklands, and towards the spit, heading towards my most Easterly point.

I made a quick and I mean quick stop out the front of Versace as I took a few photos when I noticed security heading my way. I contemplated asking them if they could take a photo of me on the scooter in between the 2 Bentley’s in the driveway but I quickly thought that maybe it wasn’t the best idea, so I jumped back on the scooter and continued, just moments before they reached me.

So, I continued on until I reached the most Easterly point on my route, the end of the rock wall at the spit.

As it turned out, this was roughly the halfway mark and breathing in the fresh salt air, invigorated me to continue on the journey. But after 6 hours in the saddle, my back and body were feeling extremely sore but I turned south and kept going.

So I was keen to keep the kilometers ticking over as I headed towards the most southerly point on my route, Mermaid beach putt-putt, with only a quick photo stop at Surfers Paradise beach on the way.

Beautiful Surfers Paradise Beach…

Mermaid beach putt-putt – my most Southerly point on the route.

A quick photo of Pacific fair.

So I now knew that every kilometer was one kilometer closer to home but the day was getting hotter, longer, and I started to really struggle both mentally and physically. So, after a short break to wet all my clothes with cold water, one under my hat, one inside the collar of my polo, a new podcast in my ears, and I was refocused again.
This proved to be the hardest part of the journey because these roads are so far south, I had never ridden them on a scooter. I tried to stretch out as much as I can whilst riding a scooter, to stop my muscles from cramping. I just thought of reaching the hospital and then I would be on familiar roads and closer to home.
I reached my goal and then it happened, the scooter came to a slow stop and didn’t want to go any further.

So luckily Scooterland was on call. Both Tony and Graham arrived within 10 minutes, changed the batteries and the Meteor came back to life. So, I was off again on the home stretch.
This was the easy bit mentally, familiar roads, home stretch but my body was starting to fight me. After being in the elements for 11 hours, everything started to hurt.
But I wasn’t going to give up now. As I neared home, I had to detour around a Helensvale estate, just to get my k’s up, so I timed it perfectly, I pulled into my street and I clicked over the targeted 100 kilometers, I had done it.

So I did it. From here Lorna got me to the shower, the bed and I slept for 17 hours straight. When I finally woke, I felt like I had gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. Everything hurt, but I still had my ear.
When I finally got my body moving, I took the boys down to the local shop and the scooter had finally had enough.

Murphy’s law in action.

But I tinkered a little and I managed to get it going and got it home, the poor scooter did do 100 km the day before.
So 1 last act to end Movember, Lorna’s favorite, to shave the mow.

So to everyone who helped me fundraise, a huge thank you. And if not this year, all good, I’ll be back next year, with another crazier challenge, to support the cause.

A massive thank you Scooterland, who without, the challenge would not have been a success. Scooterland has been supportive and helpful from the day I met him back in April. If you or your family ever need mobility equipment or maintenance then Scooterland is it, simply the best. No pressure sales, he is the only scooter shop that didn’t put pressure on me for my business, he’s just a good businessman, which shows, being in business for more than 20 years.

Scooterland, a sincere thank you. I feel obliged to give his details but I know Graham, he wasn’t in this for personal gain but his contact is Scooterland – 55392141 – Ashmore.

A final word.

Even though the challenge was much more difficult than expected, nearly 13 hours on a mobility scooter, 4 days of pain and recovery, I have no regrets and am already thinking about next year. Maybe a lemans 24-hour style challenge? Lemans race normally have a small group of drivers who swap in and out of the car, any volunteers? Jokes! We’ll see.

Sincerely, Marcus.

Movember funds ground-breaking projects in mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

http://movember.com/m/14124553?mc=43