Finke
and
Sirens of Silence Charity
Just six months into dirtbike riding and I suggested I wanted to participate in the iconic Finke Desert Race!
My ever supportive husband suggested we commit to raising funds for Sirens of Silence Charity Inc,
a charity that effectively supports first responders facing PTSD.
And Feathers Racing was created.
FEATHERS
Feathers - my father-in-law and the inspiration behind Feathers Racing and the logo colours
THERE AND BACK ENDURO
1976
Finke has always been a topic of conversation in our home.
First Finke
Feathers rode the iconic race in 1976, 1985, 1988, 1995 and the legends race at the 40th in 2015
Le Mans start
The orginal 'le mans' start in 1976
Finke 1996
Following in Feathers footsteps,
son Craig rode the 20th,
coming 13th outright before bike damage changed all that!
Legends Race 40th Finke 2015
Original first 'finkers', the 76ers -
MJ Axford (right), Feathers (left)
Finke 2023 and Sirens of Silence Charity
Fundraising for Sirens Of Silence became my new purpose,
giving me meaning and direction. Riding Finke in 2023 became my motivation.
Step one -
get a bike
Mallee Motor Cycles and Beta Australia made it possible for me to purchase a new Beta 300 XTrainer
Let the training aka
'learning' begin
First we get the bike,
then we learn to ride
We go up hills
We go down hills
We crash alot!
We break alot!
Jamestown SA, is one of our biggest supporters when it comes to mental health in first responders
We fundraise
We fundraise
Fundraising doesn't happen without the support of many!
Finke 2023
DIRT BIKE BURRITO PRE- FINKE - ACROSS THE FIELD
Dirt Bike Burrito Podcast
Happy to spend some time with Jeremy from Dirt Bike Burrito Podcast. Pre race day
Dirt Bike Burrito Podcast
Completely oblivious to how everything works - '12.48' was the time I left and '89' is the row I started from!
THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHALLENGE OF FINKE 2023
Physical prepration
Learning to ride has its drawbacks.
A couple rounds of rib injuries and additional challenges in the home front resulted in limited bike time.
I didn't do any pre-running and first laid eyes on the track two days before prologue. Accumulating about 1.5 hrs in total.
Mental preparation
I watched 'Finke, there and back' about two weeks before leaving for Alice Springs.
The Journey
I left Alice Springs late in the pack, but not last.
As I was trying to get past a couple of people, whilst going over a sand dune,
I flipped the bike back on to myself, landing on my leg. Resulting in bruised Tibia (Shin bone), a torn PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) and a reality check.
I hadn't even made it to the first fuel stop, let alone to the other end!
A few more offs and my body was turning into quite a few shades of bruising.
Made it to Finke
For some reason, I had been counting down 260kms to Finke, imagine my surprise when I came over the hill to see a massive shed and a group of indigenous children waiting at the entrance for the next riders, all at the 220 km mark!
I came in with about 12 minutes to spare.
Fortunate to have a support network set up camp, feed me and give my bike the once over before an early night and get ready to do it all again the next day.
And back
Clearly hurting from the day before, I was the last bike to leave.
David Walsh, number 1 had his own helicopter follow him from start to finish.
Me, the last rider of the day, also had my own (sweep) helicopter..feeling special :)
No stopping
On the way back, I was hurting.
Not only was I in physical pain from my knee, my back, my butt,
but also mentally hurting.
Spectators were packing up, driving off, even crossing the track, thinking that the last riders had been through.
I had started to give up, pushing through the pain but not really focusing on the clock.
About 20km out from the finish, I dropped my bike in the deep sand. One of the countless times..... I couldn't lift it .....I couldn't drag it......
Beyond where I was standing, I could just make out the road. There was no one coming behind me, there were no spectators to help me.
I was on my own and I felt alone.
I sat on the side of my bike and cried.
A full toddler tantrum, hitting the bike, screaming, tears flowing.
How easy it would be to get up and walk to the road, call it a day.
Would anyone care if I did?
I sat there for a moment...quitting wasn't an option. People with PTSD can't just get up and walk away when it gets tough.
People with PTSD can't just take the easy road when it gets too hard.
So I sat there and waited.
I wasn't really sure what I was waiting for .... strength to pick up my bike? .... someone to help me? ... I don't really know.
My green knight in his shiny white bird landed and helped me pick up my bike. Not the best use of resources, and not one I would recommend, but at that time, he was my support network. Without his help, I would not have finished.
Riding into Alice, everyone had gone already. All the spectators, the competitors, the food trucks, media, everyone.
It didn't matter though, I was there!
The volunteers, officials, family and friends had waited for me and lined the finish line for when I rode through.
You would have thought I was first!
