MIKE and Stan are cycling all the way from Melbourne to Darwin in a bid to debunk myths that muscle and joint conditions only affect really old people.
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This became Mike McKenzie’s mission after his 29-year-old son Brad was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a form of arthritis that is attacking Brad’s spine, his hips and stops him from sleeping long periods – rest is when the arthritis seizes a chance to hit his central nervous system.
Mike feels immense guilt, even though he knows it is not his fault, because the condition is hereditary. He was diagnosed with the same condition months after Brad. Only, his arthritis has manifested differently, targeting his eyes, kidney and liver.
So Mike decided to get on his bike and do something about it. His mate Stan Proctor is coming along for the ride, all 3750 kilometres of it.
Ballarat is stop number one in the Make a Move Ride. Mike and Stan leave Melbourne on September 27 and should arrive in Ballarat mid-to-late that afternoon where they are working to meet with a local arthritis support group. Ballarat is a special first stop for Mike because he was born here and has family living in town. Plus, the pair rides Melbourne-to-Ballarat for regular training sessions.
Mike and Stan also plan to meet with support groups in Ararat and Horsham but Mike said once they get across the border to South Australia and into the Northern Territory there was sparser help for people living with muscle and joint conditions.
“Arthritis is very understated condition,” Mike said. “ People think gout is because of drinking too much alcohol but it is a form of arthritis...everyone tends to think arthritis is only something old people have, with gnarled hands, but there are so many different forms.”
Everyone tends to think arthritis is only something old people have, with gnarled hands, but there are so many different forms
- Mike McKenzie
Mike and Stan hope to raise $75,000, which would fund a PhD student to specifically focus research into arthritic conditions for three years.
Make a Move Ride has been 14 months in the planning and will take 28 days to complete. Mike treats his ongoing pain with medication but said eating properly and staying on the move were the best treatment methods.
“You can’t cure it but the more you move the more manageable you can make it. People just need to find the right exercise that works for them,” Mike said.
There are 1.5 million Victorians living with arthritis-related conditions, according to Arthritis and Osteoporosis Victoria. Mike said each case was different but equally important.
