By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
A Moorabool man is getting on his bike once again, taking part in a series of races from now until next June to raise funds for Alzheimer\u2019s research.<\/p>\n
Bacchus Marsh\u2019s Peter Bedford raised $31,700 last year for the Australian Alzheimer\u2019s Research Foundation, racing in the two-day Finke Desert Race, which is around 230 kilometres each way.<\/p>\n
The support of the community has inspired Mr Bedford to race for the cause once again, with all proceeds donated going directly to the fight against Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
This year, rather than taking part in one race, he\u2019ll be taking part in several, starting with the McNabbs Desert Enduro, and culminating in the Hattah Desert Race in June 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast time I did the Finke Desert Race which everyone says is Australia\u2019s hardest, the Hattah Desert Race comes a very close second. I\u2019ve kicked off the campaign already being Alzheimer\u2019s Awareness Month, I\u2019m doing 13 events between now and June to spread the word and raise some funds,\u201d Mr Bedford told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was absolutely blown away last year [by the support]. I was hoping that at best I might have raised $10,000, but towards the last probably six to eight weeks, it jumped from $15,000 to about $30,000. I was blown away by the generosity in the community, and from businesses that got behind me and the Foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Bedford was first inspired to take up the fight by his dad Chris, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s at the age of 59.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously I want to raise as much funding as I can for the Foundation, but breaking that thought that Alzheimer\u2019s is an old person\u2019s disease is something I want to shake. Dad was 59 when he was put into full-time care\u2026since then I\u2019ve looked into things, and it\u2019s becoming a lot more common for people to get it in their 50s,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople getting it in their 40s is getting common, and even people in their 30s are known to be getting Alzheimer\u2019s. That\u2019s sort of my push, to make everyone a bit more aware that this is something that isn\u2019t going away quickly, and it\u2019s not just something that affects old people. It\u2019s not a natural way to die, it is a disease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alzheimer\u2019s disease affects up to 1 in 10 Australians over 65 years of age, and it has no cure. Dementia, which is primarily caused by Alzheimer\u2019s, is the second leading cause of death in Australia.<\/p>\n
For more information on Peter Bedford\u2019s campaign, visit \u2018Pete\u2019s Adventure B4 Dementia\u2019 on Facebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis A Moorabool man is getting on his bike once again, taking part in a series of races from now until next June to raise funds for Alzheimer\u2019s research. Bacchus Marsh\u2019s Peter Bedford raised $31,700 last year for the Australian Alzheimer\u2019s Research Foundation, racing in the two-day Finke Desert Race, which is around […]<\/p>\n