Meet our team of former athletes that will cycle in support of the Australian Children's Cancer Institute.
This October 16th, Athletes For Life will be taking its own team of former professional athletes to participate in the Endure For a Cure cycling challenge. A committed group of sportsmen and women who will complete as many laps as possible on the Sydney Motorway Park race track to raise funds for children's cancer research.
The six-hour team ride is organized by the Australian Children's Cancer Institute and has raised over 1.8 million dollars since 2014. It keeps growing every year, with more and more participants taking action in support of this great cause.
Get to know some of A4L's team riders in this year's edition of Endure For a Cure:
Drew Mitchell
We are thrilled to have the former rugby player Drew Mitchell @drew_mitchell participating in our team at the Endure For a Cure challenge next month!
Drew still holds the record for the most tries by an Australian at all World Cups. Always one to bring energy onto the field and encourage his team mates to enjoy their unity off it, Drew is now a successful entrepreneur in the wine business and is excited to take part in helping the @childrenscancerinstitute find the cure for cancer.
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Adam @adamcoopy was the rock of the Australian national team, The Wallabies, for over a decade. A highly inspirational performer and much loved part of the Wallabies, Swoop made his mark, on and off the field.
Endure For A Cure is just another way in which Adam is willing to give back. Having become a father not too long ago, Adam will ride for those families and children who are faced with children’s cancer.
We are extremely lucky to have Adam as a part of our team, who knows how many laps he will ride? But if his illustrious career for the wallabies is anything to go by, it will likely be many!
Kieran Habojan
Kieran has an inspiring story, one which puts life in perspective. Whilst not being a former professional athlete, Kieren has participated in sport his entire life and used it as a vehicle to live his best life.
Kieren knows all too well the challenges children and families face from childhood cancer go through - after all he is a survivor! Diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the age of 13, he beat the odds and has gone on to live an inspiring and beautiful life - like every child should.
Now a father of three and husband to Monique, he has another viewpoint of what it must be like for families to be faced with such tragic news. Kieren is one exceptional human being and has supported charities before through various sports challenges. We at A4L feel so fortunate to have him as part of our team for Endure for a Cure and hope we can help him in his quest to cure childhood cancer - something which affected him so personally.
Tom Kerr
Tom is a health and wellness expert and extremely well respected person in the community - it’s fair to say, everyone else comes before Tom in Tom’s life.
After years of participation in the professional sports environment, Tom was forced to retire early due to knee injury. Stepping away from all he’d known was challenging for Tom, so challenging in fact after a serious motor vehicle accident with cyclists, Tom was incarcerated for 18 months. Tom didn’t let this challenge continue to jade him and turned his life around whilst in jail.
Tom was the key factor to his own second chance, a second chance that he has taken with both hands to continue to do amazing things in the community. Tom knows not all children diagnosed with cancer are afforded such a second chance, so he has pledged to ride in Endure for a Cure to fight for such a second chance to be made possible.
Nick Youngquest
Nick @nickyoungquest is the co-founder and architect of Athletes For Life. During his career as a professional rugby player, Nick took action in many ways in the support of charitable initiatives, sometimes going against conventional standards within the rugby culture to make his voice heard.
In late 2012, he decided to step away from professional sport and focus strictly on his modeling career, which became his main occupation when he was chosen to be the face of the new masculine fragrance Invictus by @pacorabanneparfums. This decision also provided him with even more reach to publicly fight against racism and gender oppression, while raising awareness towards suicide prevention, chronic depression, anxiety and general aspects of mental health.
Now, after years using his social platforms in the support of great causes through many institutes and events, Nick decided to start his own foundation and create the opportunity for himself and fellow former professional players to engage even further in the aid of those who need it the most.
On October 16th, he will be leading our team in the Endure For a Cure challenge, an event that represents a milestone for himself and for Athletes For Life as a whole.