Bunbury man Ashley Griggs to ride bike from Albany to Bunbury raising money for Parkinson’s Disease research

In a bid to raise awareness and funds for a debilitating disease, a local man is set to take on a massive feat by cycling from Albany to Bunbury.

Bunbury man Ashley Griggs will be cycling from Albany to Bunbury in an effort to raise money to help Shake It Up Australia support research to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.

Ahead of the 340km ride, Mr Griggs said he was inspired to take on the challenge by his grandfather, who had been suffering from the effects of Parkinson’s Disease for a number of years.

“I was inspired I suppose by his challenges and the rapid progression of the disease,” he said.

“From there I got in touch with the Shake It Up Foundation and they guided me in the right direction.

“The ride was my idea but they gave me some good tools to get started and kickstarted things online for me as well.”

Since deciding to take on the big ride in September, Mr Griggs had been spending a number of months training regularly with solo bike rides as well as keeping up his fitness with gym training.

“I’ve also been training in the conditions just to get used to the heat while I’m out there,” he said.

“I’m pretty nervous but also pretty excited.

“I finished my last session of a 16-week training block last Monday so I think it was a bit of a relief.

“As soon as I had done that I thought that’s one big thing done and now I’ve got the rest of the time to relax and get prepared mentally and physically.”

While Mr Griggs will be riding solo, he will have his father and his best mate working as a support crew travelling along the way, with a number of stops planned throughout the ride.

“When we get to a town, we’ll have a car which is marked with the foundation logo and sponsors and I will be wearing a guernsey marked with the foundation and sponsors as well,” Mr Griggs said.

“Hopefully people will see it and it strikes up some conversation and we gather some donations along the way.”

The feat has already been met with plenty of support from the Bunbury community, with Mr Griggs raising almost $12,000 prior to departing for Albany.

“It’s pretty big,” Mr Griggs said.

“I thought I’d get to $10,000 by the end but to get close to $12,000 already as well as having another donation event when I get back to Bunbury, I think we might be able to get to $20,000.

“In the past couple of days I’ve had people come on board and add extra things to help get to my target so it’s been really positive from a local perspective.

“Local businesses had no hesitation in jumping on board which is great.”

Following the ride, Mr Griggs will host a Sunday session at The Rose Hotel on January 15 which will include auctions, raffles, live music and a signature cocktail with proceeds also to be donated to the Shake It Up Foundation.

“It will just be a massive celebration and a really big push to hit the numbers,” he said.

To donate, visit the Fundraisers page on the Shake It Up Foundation website.