AUS – Brisbane to Eugowra, 1,450km. May 24-31, 2024
Rob Hansford (Leader)
Church: Jane and I attend Eight Mile Plains in Brisbane
Ministry Passion: Ensuring our youth know the real Jesus
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: Travelling, spending time, and having fun with the love of my life Jane and our adult sons and their partners.
Bike: Merida
Ride Specialty: I enjoy a good climb (which doesn’t necessarily mean I’m good at it)
Favourite food after long rides: Anything that isn’t a sports bar or a gel. Usually a banana protein shake.
Favourite Bible Character: Abraham
Favourite Passage of the Bible: Genesis 15:8-21
Volunteer Ministry: Growing strong and effective small groups
Employment: Chief Financial Officer at Eureka Street Furniture, Queensland
Brett Townend
Church: My wife Rae and I visit churches across South East Qld as part of my leadership role
Ministry Passion: Shaping anything and everything we do to see people meet Jesus
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: horses! (Brett is a genuine horse whisperer!)
Bike: Bianchi
Ride specialty: getting lost on endurance rides
Favourite food after long rides: anything!
Favourite Bible character: Paul
Favourite passage of the Bible: Philippians 2
Volunteer ministry: listening to the person in front of me
Russ Willcocks
Church: Springwood, Brisbane
Ministry Passion: Reproducible, scalable ministry systems that support mission.
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: family time, swimming
Bike: Merida Reacto 7000
Ride specialty: Falling off
Favourite food after long rides: toast
Favourite Bible character: Priscilla and Aquilla
Favourite passage of the Bible: Rom 12:1-3
Volunteer ministry: I look after the Pastoral Care team at church
Glenn Townend
Church: The Haven at Central Coast Adventist School
Ministry Passion: Disciple-making – seeing every person becoming a disciple of Jesus and fulfilling God’s call on their life.
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Gardening – both road and mountain biking
Bike: Road – Giant Defy Advanced Pro O frame from 2021 and gear from 2018
MTB – Avanti Competitor 2
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): staying upright! Endurance
Favourite food after long rides: sourdough toast (crunchy) with crunchy Sanitarium peanut butter and honey, also a protein smoothy with kale and frozen banana and berries
Favourite Bible character: Besides Jesus – Joshua
Favourite passage of the Bible: Romans 5 and 8
Volunteer ministry: teaching Sabbath School from kids to adults and welcoming at church.
Cosmin Dan-Marica
Church: Collinsvale Seventh-day Adventist Church
Ministry Passion: Helping people achieve their God’s given call.
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Reading a book and/or helping my wife in the garden
Bike: Merida Reacto Team
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): Endurance and sprints. Not so much hills, although I ride a lot in the hills.
Favourite food after long rides: Pumpkin seeds
Favourite Bible character: Joseph
Favourite passage of the Bible: Isaiah 41:10
Volunteer ministry: Playing my flute in the worship service.
Anthony Kent
Anthony is a great, great, grandson of Tom Kent
Church: Spencerville, Maryland, USA
Ministry Passion: People accepting, following Jesus, discipling others and being ready for the Second Advent.
Favourite leisure time: cycling, golf
Bike: BMC Team Machine SLR01
Ride specialty: Downhill with a tailwind
Favourite food after long rides: Watermelon if I’m good, Ice-cream if I’m bad
Favourite Bible character: Barnabas
Favourite passage of the Bible: Heb 12:1-2
Volunteer ministry: anything that leads people to Jesus
Sam Kent
Sam is a great, great, grandson of Tom Kent
Church: Byron Bay
Ministry Passion: Sharing a loving picture of the King of the Universe to those who have understood otherwise.
Favourite leisure time: Mountain biking, surfing, tennis, hiking, travelling, exploring
Bike: Cannondale Jekyl, Cannondale Flash, Cannondale Supersix Evo
Ride specialty: Technical singletrack
Favourite food after long rides: Lots
Favourite Bible character: Jesus
Favourite passage of the Bible: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Psalms 46:10 NKJV
AUS – Brisbane to Cooranbong, 950km. Feb 2023
Brett Townend (Leader)
Church: My wife Rae and I visit churches across South East Qld as part of my leadership role
Ministry Passion: Shaping anything and everything we do to see people meet Jesus
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: horses! (Brett is a genuine horse whisperer!)
Bike: Bianchi
Ride specialty: getting lost on endurance rides
Favourite food after long rides: anything!
Favourite Bible character: Paul
Favourite passage of the Bible: Philippians 2
Volunteer ministry: listening to the person in front of me
Rob Hansford
Church: Jane and I attend Eight Mile Plains in Brisbane
Ministry Passion: Ensuring our youth know the real Jesus
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: Travelling, spending time, and having fun with the love of my life Jane and our adult sons and their partners.
Bike: Teschner Team Race
Ride Specialty: I enjoy a good climb (which doesn’t necessarily mean I’m good at it)
Favourite food after long rides: Anything that isn’t a sports bar or a gel. Usually a banana protein shake.
Favourite Bible Character: Abraham
Favourite Passage of the Bible: Genesis 15:8-21
Volunteer Ministry: Growing strong and effective small groups
Employment: Chief Financial Officer at Eureka Street Furniture, Queensland
Torben Bergland
Church: Spencerville Church, Maryland, USA
Ministry Passion: Restoring what is broken and lost
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: Running, skiing, good conversations
Bike: Which one? I have a few but the one I use for the IWGR is an Orbea Orca Aero
Ride specialty: I always wanted to be strong at climbing and time trial but according to tests, my strength is actually sprinting.
Favourite food after long rides: Just about anything that gives energy fast
Favourite Bible character: The Solomon who wrote Ecclesiastes
Favourite passage of the Bible: Isaiah 55:8-9
Volunteer ministry: teaching Sabbath School
Quintin Betteridge
Church: Quintin is one of the Pastors at the Kingscliff Adventist Church, North New South Wales
Ministry Passion: Connecting Seekers with the Word (Jesus) through the Word (Scripture)
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Reading, Triathlons, and eating Pastries (hey I’m carboloading for something ok.)
Bike: Trek Emonda
Ride specialty: I like going fast 💨
Favourite food after long rides: Croissants
Favourite Bible character: Daniel
Favourite passage of the Bible: These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Rev 14.4
Nick Kross
Church: The Haven Campus Church NNSW
Ministry Passion: Seeing souls saved for Christ
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Surfing and hiking.
Bike: Giant: DEFY Advanced D-Fuse
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): Endurance
Favourite food after long rides: Pasta!
Favourite Bible character: Joseph
Favourite passage of the Bible: Isa 42:16
Volunteer ministry: Teen Sabbath school leader
Russ Willcocks
Church: Springwood, Brisbane
Ministry Passion: Reproducible, scalable ministry systems that support mission.
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: family time, swimming
Bike: Merida Reacto 7000
Ride specialty: Falling off
Favourite food after long rides: toast
Favourite Bible character: Priscilla and Aquilla
Favourite passage of the Bible: Rom 12:1-3
Volunteer ministry: I look after the Pastoral Care team at church
Miljan Popovic
Church: Eight Mile Plains, Capalaba, QLD – pastor
Ministry Passion: making healthy-growing disciples/leaders, pastoral care
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): family walks, basketball, gym
Bike: Trek Emonda SL 6
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): not sure if I have any yet!
Favourite food after long rides: Tail Wind nutrition – (recovery) and then Nutmeat balls with mashed potato, avocado and salad (main course), protein smoothie (desert)
Favourite Bible character: Joseph
Favourite passage of the Bible:
Isa. 53:4.5 – “But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed.”
Pham Nguyen To Phuong
Church: Phu Nhuan church, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
Ministry passion: reaching out to people through the church literature and health ministries
Bike: Cervelo R5
Bike specialty: endurance ride
Favorite food after long rides: milk tea and noodles
Favorite Bible character: Paul
Favorite passage of the Bible: Psalm 23
Volunteer ministry: doing charity work for Hmong community, food programs
Employment: South East Asia Union Mission Publishing and Health Director, Home Health Education Service Manager
AUS – Melbourne to Cooranbong, 1050km
Michael Worker (Leader)
Church: Gilson College Community Church
Ministry Passion: Revealing the character and person of Jesus to those in my sphere of influence
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Family and good food.
Bike: Cervelo Caledonia
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): Love the hills
Favourite food after long rides: Some Ice Cream always goes well after a long ride on a hot day.
Favourite Bible character: Jeremiah – I love his ability to keep His eyes focused on God despite the trials and challenges of life.
Favourite passage of the Bible: Titus 3:4-7
Volunteer ministry: Preaching in local churches and conducting Sabbath school classes.
Glenn Townend
Church: The Haven at Central Coast Adventist School
Ministry Passion: Disciple-making – seeing every person becoming a disciple of Jesus and fulfilling God’s call on their life.
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Gardening – both road and mountain biking
Bike: Road – Giant Defy Advanced Pro O frame from 2021 and gear from 2018
MTB – Avanti Competitor 2
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): staying upright! Endurance
Favourite food after long rides: sourdough toast (crunchy) with crunchy Sanitarium peanut butter and honey, also a protein smoothy with kale and frozen banana and berries
Favourite Bible character: Besides Jesus – Joshua
Favourite passage of the Bible: Romans 5 and 8
Volunteer ministry: teaching Sabbath School from kids to adults and welcoming at church.
Cosmin Dan-Marica
Church: Collinsvale Seventh-day Adventist Church
Ministry Passion: Helping people achieve their God’s given call.
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Reading a book and/or helping my wife in the garden
Bike: Merida Reacto Team
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): Endurance and sprints. Not so much hills, although I ride a lot in the hills.
Favourite food after long rides: Pumpkin seeds
Favourite Bible character: Joseph
Favourite passage of the Bible: Isaiah 41:10
Volunteer ministry: Playing my flute in the worship service.
Marcus Pereira
Church:
Ministry Passion:
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling):
Bike:
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints):
Favourite food after long rides:
Favourite Bible character:
Favourite passage of the Bible:
Volunteer ministry:
Anthony Kent
Anthony is a great, great, grandson of Tom Kent
Church: Spencerville, Maryland, USA
Ministry Passion: People accepting, following Jesus, discipling others and being ready for the Second Advent.
Favourite leisure time: cycling, golf
Bike: BMC Team Machine SLR01
Ride specialty: Downhill with a tailwind
Favourite food after long rides: Watermelon if I’m good, Ice-cream if I’m bad
Favourite Bible character: Barnabas
Favourite passage of the Bible: Heb 12:1-2
Volunteer ministry: anything that leads people to Jesus
Jason Drury
I Pastor the Tumut, Tumbarumba and Corryong church congregations
Ministry passion: reaching to those of our special needs community, and to encourage and empower all our members to reach and grow into places they never thought possible.
Favourite leisure time: I like to go fishing and spend time in nature for leisure, I also like to noodle.
Bike: I ride a Merida Scultura 6000
Ride specialty: My riding specialty is hills and endurance
Favourite food after a long ride: two chilled Vanilla Up and Go’s, shaken up enough to thicken it a little.
My Favourite Bible Character: Paul he was a man of conviction, albeit misdirected at first but when he met Christ, he became a powerful and determined witness to the Jews and Gentiles.
My favourite Bible passage: Phil 1:6 says to me that what God starts he promises to finish, we can trust him to do that and he will not fail.
Ministry Passion: anything on two wheels and I like to use these to connect with churched and unchurched people in the hope that my witness and experiences will touch the lives of others in positive ways.
Caleb Williams
Church: Pillar O Fire
Ministry Passion: CFO at SNSW Conference
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Running, Reading, Staying fit and healthy. Quality time with friends and family.
Bike: Specialised Tarmac SL6
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): Endurance
Favourite food after long rides: Fruit smoothy, anything fresh
Favourite Bible character: Joseph
Favourite passage of the Bible: Psalms 118:8-9
Volunteer ministry: Leading out in small groups, being a part of people’s journeys towards Jesus
Craig Allum
Church: Haven
Ministry Passion: Young people (students) experiencing Jesus through the outdoors
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): barefoot waterskiing
Bike: GIANT TCR
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints): Diesel mode endurance
Favourite food after long rides: salted caramel protein , Banna , peanut butter, shredded coconut with a ton of ice…
Favourite Bible character: David.. love his heart and passion
Favourite passage of the Bible: Psalm 139
Volunteer ministry: worship music..
Scott Lovell
Church:
Ministry Passion:
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling):
Bike:
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance or sprints):
Favourite food after long rides:
Favourite Bible character:
Favourite passage of the Bible:
Volunteer ministry:
USA Ride – Washington to St Louis, 1850km, June 2022
Glenn Townend
Church: The Haven at Central Coast Adventist School
Ministry Passion: Disciple-making – seeing every person becoming a disciple of Jesus and fulfilling God’s call on their life.
Favourite leisure time (besides cycling): Gardening – both road and mountain biking
Bike: Road – Giant Defy Advanced Pro O frame from 2021 and gear from 2018
MTB – Avanti Competitor 2
Ride specialty (Pick hills, endurance, or sprints): staying upright! Endurance
Favourite food after long rides: sourdough toast (crunchy) with crunchy Sanitarium peanut butter and honey, also a protein smoothy with kale and frozen banana and berries
Favourite Bible character: Besides Jesus – Joshua
Favourite passage of the Bible: Romans 5 and 8
Volunteer ministry: teaching Sabbath School from kids to adults and welcoming at church.
Pham Nguyen To Phuong
Church: Phu Nhuan church, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
Ministry passion: reaching out to people through the church literature and health ministries
Bike: Cervelo R5
Bike specialty: endurance ride
Favorite food after long rides: milk tea and noodles
Favorite Bible character: Paul
Favorite passage of the Bible: Psalm 23
Volunteer ministry: doing charity work for Hmong community, food programs
Employment: South East Asia Union Mission Publishing and Health Director, Home Health Education Service Manager
Torben Berglund
Church: Spencerville Church, Maryland, USA
Ministry Passion: Restoring what is broken and lost
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: Running, skiing, good conversations
Bike: Which one? I have a few but the one I use for the IWGR is an Orbea Orca Aero
Ride specialty: I always wanted to be strong at climbing and time trial but according to tests, my strength is actually sprinting.
Favourite food after long rides: Just about anything that gives energy fast
Favourite Bible character: The Solomon who wrote Ecclesiastes
Favourite passage of the Bible: Isaiah 55:8-9
Volunteer ministry: teaching Sabbath School
Anthony Kent
Anthony is a great, great, grandson of Tom Kent and the I Will Go Ride Leader for the USA ride
Church: Spencerville, Maryland, USA
Ministry Passion: People accepting, following Jesus, discipling others and being ready for the Second Advent.
Favourite leisure time: cycling, golf
Bike: BMC Team Machine SLR01
Ride specialty: Downhill with a tailwind
Favourite food after long rides: Watermelon if I’m good, Ice-cream if I’m bad
Favourite Bible character: Barnabas
Favourite passage of the Bible: Heb 12:1-2
Volunteer ministry: anything that leads people to Jesus
Rob Hansford
Rob is a great, great, grandson of Tom Kent!
Church: Jane and I attend Eight Mile Plains in Brisbane
Ministry Passion: Ensuring our youth know the real Jesus
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: Travelling, spending time, and having fun with the love of my life Jane and our adult sons and their partners.
Bike: Teschner Team Race
Ride Specialty: I enjoy a good climb (which doesn’t necessarily mean I’m good at it)
Favourite food after long rides: Anything that isn’t a sports bar or a gel. Usually a banana protein shake.
Favourite Bible Character: Abraham
Favourite Passage of the Bible: Genesis 15:8-21
Volunteer Ministry: Currently serving as an Elder and supporting the Church’s Youth Ministry
Employment: Chief Financial Officer at Eureka Street Furniture, Queensland
Brett Townend
Church: My wife Rae and I visit churches across South East Qld as part of my leadership role
Ministry Passion: Shaping anything and everything we do to see people meet Jesus
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: horses (Brett is a genuine horse whisperer!)
Bike: Which one? Bianchi
Ride specialty: getting lost on endurance rides
Favourite food after long rides: anything!
Favourite Bible character: Paul
Favourite passage of the Bible: Philippians 2
Volunteer ministry: listening to the person in front of me
Michael Worker
Church: Wantirna, Victoria, Australia
Ministry Passion: To see healthy thriving churches that are actively engaged in their local community and sharing the good news of Jesus and His soon return
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: Weight Training and spending time with my family.
Bike: Cannondale Synapse
Ride specialty: Hills
Favourite food after long rides I love to reward myself with some ice cream after a big long ride (don’t tell Torben).
Favourite Bible character: Jeremiah
Favourite passage of the Bible Titus 3:4-7
Volunteer ministry: teaching Sabbath School and when the opportunity arises, being involved as a sound engineer. Both Maree and I enjoy visiting churches in our local area and sharing the Word.
Russ Willcocks
Church: Springwood, Brisbane
Ministry Passion: Reproducible, scalable ministry systems that support movements
Favourite leisure time apart from cycling: family time, swimming
Bike: Merida Reacto 7000
Ride specialty: Falling off
Favourite food after long rides: toast
Favourite Bible character: Priscilla and Aquilla
Favourite passage of the Bible: Rom 12:1-3
Volunteer ministry: Welcome and Checkin team