Starting to really kick it up a gear

The Limestone Coast contingent training for the 2025 Nancy Wake Memorial Ride have survived their first two serious training rides with December 30 the next big challenge.

Nancy Wake became the most decorated female of World War II on the back of her work as part of the French Resistance. The New Zealand born operative, who spent time working as a nurse in New South Wales and then moved to England where she trained as a journalist, is an inspiration for many females who are serving or have served in the defence forces and she is the inspiration to this group of Limestone Coast women who are about to honour the woman known as ‘The White Mouse’ by retracing one of her famous bike rides.

Limestone Coast Veterans’ Hub veteran wellbeing advocate Liz Wheeler is heading up the contingent of six women, all aged in their 50s, who have already been training for three months ahead of taking on the 500km journey from Auvergne to Chateuroux.

Nancy took three days to tackle the route and return – the Limestone Coast ladies will be tackling the famous journey in a more leisurely manner, looking at traversing 50-60km a day, and it is earmarked for 2025, given plenty of time for the physical preparation and the fundraising that will be required to fund the trip.

The campaign to follow in the footsteps of Nancy Wake is a multi-layered one. It is highlighting the role of females in our defence forces, it is shining a light on female veterans, who can fall through the cracks more so than their male counterparts, and it is playing a role in the physical and mental wellbeing of the group of women tackling it.

“When the general public perceives a veteran as an older male or someone from the younger cohort that have recently seen active service in places like Iraq and Afghanistan,” Liz said. “We want to change that conversation – there are quite a few women veterans out there and it is not an easy transition for a lot of them. There is not a great level of compassion and empathy. It can be very difficult and very isolating.”

The group have been riding together on Sundays and have continued that regime as well as adding is some longer hauls to start preparing for their 500km journey.

The first big ride was in October from Kingston to Robe – around a 40kilometre journey.

That ride was part of an event for Veteran’s Health Week supported by the Robe RSL and the Limestone Coast Veterans’ Hub and Leanne Dunn said it was a tough first outing.

“We set out along the foreshore on a great walking/cycling track,” Leanne said. “Of course, it was cold and windy but we gritted out teeth, clenched our butts and treadled on. The route was relatively flat but the strong head wind made the 40km seem like 400km.”

The Military Brotherhood served as outriders for the cyclists and are supporting the ladies in their preparations.

Last month, some of the group did a ride from Warrnambool to Koroit and back with the December 30 ride seeing the training group ride from Mount Gambier to Penola via Glencoe and Kalangadoo, returning the next day to see out 2023.

All riders are paying their own way to France and back but we are hoping to raise funds for equipment, insurance and accommodation on our journey and there is a dedicated account with Bendigo Bank should anyone wish to donate. (BSB 633000 Acc 209266089 Nancy Wake Memorial Ride)