Nick's story
G’day! My name is Nick. I was always a runner, but it wasn't until mid-life that I found the lycra-filled world of cycling and triathlon. I'll be first to admit I swim like a brick, but being last out of the water appeals to my competitive side.
My affair with the Noosa Tri began in 2014. By 2015, I’d found Mater Smiling for Smiddy, a cause that would give this event important meaning for me. Over the years since 2015, I’ve accumulated a trove of wonderful memories with team Smiddy and have been lucky to share these experiences with family and friends.
My last Noosa Tri was 2019. Although I was gifted a pair of Smiddy rainbow socks for my fundraising efforts, I feared that I was done and retired at 49. I swore to never wear my Smiddy socks until my next Noosa Tri and I didn’t.
Along came a series of medical challenges—each of my knees had to be rebuilt and one of my feet needed bone surgery. My surgeon told me I could swim, cycle… and walk.
They say if you make it out of your 40’s, you'll make it into your 70’s. But what has been heartbreaking over the past 4-5 years has been the reality of close friends and their families, including my own, having been struck by various forms of cancer… melanoma, prostate, liver, breast, lung, gastric, blood and brain.
In 2022, I was introduced to the most beautiful and inspiring young woman, Susannah. She is a simply incredible individual who wants to live the best life she has. In her late 20’s, Susannah was diagnosed out of the blue with stage 4 glioblastoma.
Working with Susannah in search of miracles led us to an investigative drug in Germany called ONC201. ONC201 showed promise for Susannah's specific tumour mutations, and with the financial support of some incredible people we have been importing ONC201 for the past year. After some initial ups and downs, incredibly, we were told in August that Susannah's tumour progression had slowed materially—and maybe even stopped.
Susannah's amazing boyfriend of seven years, Max, has been her rock during this rotten journey. Max has done triathlons before, but never the Noosa Tri. So we made a pact – I would again zip into my Smiddy suit and tri, if Max would join me on the iconic beach with Susannah in the crowd to cheer us on.
Our plan was all on track and we were so excited until the week before Noosa Tri 2023 when Susannah’s health took a crushing turn. Team Susannah is once again in search of miracles.
On 5 November 2023, I stood together on the beach with 350 other incredible Smiddy athletes. I dedicated my Tri to Susannah and every other person battling cancer, and I proudly wore my rainbow socks.
This is the reason why I Tri, and together I know that we can make a difference to beat this dreadful disease. Please register to join the Noosa Tri 2024 today. Max and I plan to be there.
Like Nick, will you go beyond to support those with cancer?
