Kerrie Chapman
- National: 462nd
- State: 120th in Vic
My Story
This October, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer!
Because right now, cancer is the largest single killer of children from disease in Australia – over 600 children are diagnosed with cancer every year and sadly, 3 die every week.
Kids should be living life, not fighting for it.
In my 8th year of riding (my 4th with POTS and Post Viral fatigue). I miss the days of spending all my spare time pedalling on the roads or on a trainer at home….. I have been too unwell to work or do pretty much any normal stuff, but keeping my leg muscles toned to help with POTS, and exercising Stormie the Jack x Tenterfield terrier on my folding bike over winter has been a win win. I struggle to walk too far and my bike has been like a wheelchair. I also use a recumbent bike as sitting and standing trigger POTS symptoms…. So in previous years it was a time commitment, now it is a pacing activity to strike a balance between doing enough but not overdoing it! Hard for a competitive overachiever!
And so I am riding and raising funds to support the Children's Medical Research Institute to continue their work into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and finding a cure for childhood cancer.
Please support my challenge by making a donation through my fundraising page to give these kids the brighter futures they deserve.
Together, we can save little lives.
Thanks for your support.
My Legacy
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501 km Ridden$1,745 Raised2017
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491 km Ridden$1,078 Raised2018
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457 km Ridden$951 Raised2019
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359 km Ridden$1,915 Raised2020
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104 km Ridden$1,145 Raised2021
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114 km Ridden$811 Raised2022
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210 km Ridden$1,413 Raised2023
My Challenge
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4.0 km ride - Evening Ride - Thursday, October 31, 2024
Logged this ride 7 days ago - View on Strava -
5.0 km ride - Evening Ride - Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Logged this ride 8 days ago - View on Strava -
15.0 km ride - Evening Ride - Sunday, October 27, 2024
Logged this ride 11 days ago - View on Strava -
8.0 km ride - Afternoon Ride - Saturday, October 26, 2024
Logged this ride 12 days ago - View on Strava -
10.0 km ride - Afternoon Ride - Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Logged this ride 15 days ago - View on Strava -
8.0 km ride - Afternoon Ride - Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Logged this ride 16 days ago - View on Strava -
2/3’s there
21 Oct 2024I may have pushed myself a little bit hard this year… But I am on schedule for the goal that I set.
One third of the month’s left, and one third of the distance…. I’ve just gotta keep doing what I’ve been doing…. which is a little bit each day.
I am so grateful for the generous donations and support.
Pic: Stormie the support dog who lays over my chest whilst pedalling if I breathe too hard (he had a cool off swim), a nice cuppa jasmine tea from good friends, and a bit of vitamin D for the pedalling legs!
Posted 17 days ago -
11.0 km ride - Afternoon Ride - Monday, October 21, 2024
Logged this ride 17 days ago - View on Strava -
10.0 km ride - Afternoon Ride - Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Logged this ride 22 days ago - View on Strava -
10.0 km ride - Lunch Ride - Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Logged this ride 23 days ago - View on Strava -
4.0 km ride - Night Ride - Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Logged this ride 24 days ago - View on Strava -
7.0 km ride - 21 mins (paused to put groceries away) - Sunday, October 13, 2024
Logged this ride 25 days ago - View on Strava -
10.0 km ride - Evening Ride - Saturday, October 12, 2024
Logged this ride 26 days ago - View on Strava -
5.0 km ride - Lunch Ride - Friday, October 11, 2024
Logged this ride 27 days ago - View on Strava -
7.0 km ride - Evening Ride - Thursday, October 10, 2024
Logged this ride 28 days ago - View on Strava -
15.0 km ride - Night Ride - Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Logged this ride 29 days ago - View on Strava -
$500 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $500 to fight kids' cancer and achieved GUARDIAN LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 29 days ago -
$250 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $250 to fight kids' cancer and achieved PROTECTOR LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 29 days ago -
$100 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $100 to fight kids' cancer and achieved DEFENDER LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 30 days ago -
Living with disability
7 Oct 2024This year, 4.5yrs into having POTS, an invisible disability that leaves one with little support, and needs the kind of research support and funding cancer gets, most of my cycling will be done laying at a 30 degree angle on a pilates type sliding bench machine called the Total Gym Fit.
Unfortunately it doesn’t measure distance, but from my lifetime of cycling more kms than driving, it takes approx 3 mins on average to ride 1km.
So every 3 mins = 1km.
Cycling in an upright position, especially as the days are warmer causes an increase in my heart rate that worsens POTS symptoms. Also Melbourne roads are not particularly cycle friendly anymore…. Cars are going through an aggressive patch.
This is my 8th year of fundraising for research into children’s cancers. And potentially the one where I bring the total I have raised in 8 years to $10,000, thanks to incredibly generous people like yourself, who are reading this post.
Standing up with POTS takes 3 times more energy than for someone without.
Pedalling laying down increases my HR, but less than cleaning my teeth, getting dressed, showering, standing up anywhere for 2 minutes.
This October I will forfeit any unnecessary exertion (like showering too often), to commit to using my energy for something that gives to others. Don’t worry, this illness/disability with no treatment or cure, has given me a lot of practice missing out on basic activitiesof daily living! I am also very fortunate to not have BO 😂
It also benefits me to have an external motivation to use my leg muscles. This fundraiser hold me accountable. What is tricky is that Exercise for me? Is actually not healthy, so I need to not compete against myself and set regular and achievable goals. On days where I do not leave home to go to an appointment and have someone who is able to take Stormie the 3yr old JRT x Tenterfield Terrier out for exercise, I can spend more time pedalling. But days where I have other physically demanding commitments, I need to be very mindful.
Any support is appreciated more than I can express. If you live near me and are able to take Storms for a walk (and u pass my walking a JRT test), that in itself is a donation for me.
Thank you for reading, and for many of you, supporting me for years.
Kerrie 💜
Posted 31 days ago -
4.0 km ride - Afternoon Ride - Saturday, October 5, 2024
Logged this ride 33 days ago - View on Strava -
10.0 km ride - Afternoon Ride - Thursday, October 3, 2024
Logged this ride 35 days ago - View on Strava -
3.0 km ride - Evening Ride - Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Logged this ride 36 days ago - View on Strava -
4.0 km ride - Indoor Recumbent - Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Logged this ride 37 days ago - View on Strava
My Sponsors
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Kick Cancer's Butt Day Matching Donation
$620.44Received this donation 29 days agoKerrie
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Anonymous
$155.25Received this donation 29 days agoKerrie
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Romany Bastiaensz
$124.20Received this donation 29 days agoKerrie
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Russell Auwardt
$124.20Received this donation 29 days agoKerrie
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Adele
$103.50Received this donation 29 days agoKerrie
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Jim Hadjigeorgiou
$103.50Received this donation 30 days agoKerrie
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Burak Eroz
$72.45Received this donation 15 days agoKerrie
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Match Day Matching Donation
$72.45Received this donation 15 days agoKerrie
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Melinda Sawers
$72.45Received this donation 29 days agoKerrie
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Deborah Pidd
$51.75Received this donation 29 days agoKerrie
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Anonymous
$51.75Received this donation 28 days agoKerrie
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Ken Fisher
$36.23Received this donation 28 days agoKerrie
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Natalie
$36.23Received this donation 30 days agoKerrie
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Peta
$36.23Received this donation 30 days agoKerrie
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Marissa Daldy
$20.70Received this donation 30 days agoKerrie
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Anonymous
$50Received this donation 29 days agoKerrie