“People ask me why I am doing it, and well, I guess the answer is that I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and see what I could really achieve by pushing my body to its limits”.

For Keith Hobson, a 76-year-old from Hamilton, getting in the outdoors and living life to the fullest is what it’s all about, and taking on a cycling challenge is a great way to do that. Keith will be spending his summer cycling the Kopiko Aotearoa in a bid to raise money for the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

Starting on the 22nd of January, Keith will be riding across the widest part of the North Island from the East Cape lighthouse near Te Araroa to Cape Egmont near New Plymouth. His journey will cover an incredible 1000 kilometres over 12 days and will be the equivalent of climbing two Mt Everest’s.

Training for these kinds of events is not something to undertake lightly, however, Keith started this type of endurance riding about 4 years ago, and before that he had been riding socially for about 10 years.

“The training for these kinds of events involves starting slowly and building up to around 100km per day”.

Each day, Keith will wake up at 5:30 am to get prepared for a busy day ahead, sorting his food, gear and water.

“My trip is fully self-supporting, meaning that I need to carry everything I need on my bike. This includes clothing, food, water, medication, and repair tools”.

He will then begin his ride, making his way to his planned accommodation for the day. Each ride will be an average of 100km per day, with the maximum distance being 121km and the minimum being 59km. At the end of each day, he will need to make sure his clothes are washed and dried and his bike is cleaned, and ready for the next big day ahead.

Given the type of terrain he rides on for these cycling races, Keith is aware that a rescue helicopter is the best option for him to be evacuated in the event of an emergency. As a result, Keith has always been passionate about raising money for the rescue helicopter. Additionally, he has previously raised money for the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter in the Tour Aotearoa in 2020, where he cycled from Cape Reinga to Bluff and managed to raise an incredible $450.

He is excited about another opportunity to raise funds for the rescue helicopter through something he enjoys doing – cycling.

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