Clare Reilly to take on epic Munda Biddi challenge

PORTARLINGTON resident and multiple sclerosis (MS) advocate Clare Reilly is on a mission to show the world that living with a disability doesn’t define one’s limits.

In April 2026, Ms Reilly, who is living with MS, will attempt Western Australia’s more than 1,000km Munda Biddi Trail, becoming the first person to complete the world’s longest off-road cycling trail in a powered off-road wheelchair.

She will undertake the journey with her husband Jay and her 10-year-old son Elliot, with her parents coming along to provide “road support”.

As part of the trek, Ms Reilly, who was diagnosed with MS in 2017, is also aiming to raise $100,000 for MS research, funds she hopes can provide support to the 33,000 Australians living with the disease.

She said the inspiration for the trip arose from a similar trek tackled by a friend along the north of Australia on horseback.

“I thought to myself ‘I’m really sad, I can’t do things like that anymore’ and then I was like ‘Hang on, of course I can’.

“There’s ways around the things that we find challenging.

“No human can access 100 per cent of what’s available – we don’t have time, capacity, space, whatever – and so I’m just accessing a different part of what’s available in life.

“We just have to look at things a bit differently when the world’s not an accessible place.”

While she hopes the trip may serve as motivation to others, she shies away from calling the journey inspiring.

“I hate the idea of it being inspiring, because I just feel like I’m doing something that I want to do,” Ms Reilly said.

“But it’s nice to raise awareness for accessibility, particularly in the outdoors, because I know that getting around in a wheelchair is not very outdoor-friendly.

“Obviously the money’s great, and getting a prevention or cure would be amazing, but the reality is, who knows what’s going to happen there.

“[But] maybe people can look at it and think ‘Well, this is something I loved doing before, so maybe there’s a different way I can do it now’ or ‘She did it, so why can’t I do it?’.”

In the lead-up to the journey, Ms Reilly has begun reaching out to the community for help to raise the $50,000 needed to cover the expedition’s essential costs, including travel expenses, accommodation, food and travel.

“I really wanted to be transparent about where the money is going that people are choosing to donate,” she said.

Any funds left over will be donated to MS research along with her $100,000 fundraising target.

Along the way, Ms Reilly also intends to document the experience, with both a book and short documentary on the cards, with all proceeds to also be donated to the cause.

For more information, head to wheelchairmeetswilderness.org, or to support Ms Reilly’s fundraising campaign, head to mycause.com.au/p/360402