About the team

THE PILOTS
Shane O’Brien, a residential architect, works with the luxuries in life and likes to take them into the wild too. He can always be relied upon to pull out a good bottle of red or the finest sourdough from the bottom of his pack. He spends his spare time hatching plans for the next great adventure with his wife Helen, as they cycle side by side on night rides through the great Australian bush. An eternal optimist, Shane survived an almost fatal car crash 15 years ago (and ski-ing Kiandra to Kosciuszko just one year later). This positive outlook on life makes any grand plan have dangerous potential to become reality.

Ken Boer likes to be in the shed tinkering with his bikes. When he’s not in the shed he likely to found riding his bike in places where the trails are interesting and the views spectacular. Recent adventures have been to La Reunion, Central Australia, Samoa and Vietnam. Ken enjoys the social side of bike events, probably because there is little chance of him winning anything. He brings to the team his innovative mechanical skills, an ability to find a practical solution to any problem and endless knowledge of just about everything. Ken in a forester specialising in forest modelling and mapping.

THE STOKERS
Hilary Smith is an independent consultant who works with land owners to help them identify optimal uses for their land and natural resources. Her work has taken her to Borneo, Northern Australia and other remote locations. In her spare time she is studying Law and grows different edible plants. She likes riding her bike with Ken in interesting places, whether on the secret trails of South Coast NSW Australia or overseas. A dedicated stoker Hilary has the innate ability to get chain ring grease on herself on every ride. A stupendous organiser, she provides both glue and grease for the team.

Denise Collins has a well developed love for travel, adventure and increasingly combining those things on a mountain-bike. She has had former ‘lives’ as an Australian rower and cox, a rowing coach and then a range of jobs which actually paid some bills. Denise retired from a career in the IT industry to foster dogs from death row and try to keep life somewhat sane with her #1 Qantas customer husband and three kids. With boundless energy and a constant sense of humour, she’ll have us all laughing until we clip out of our cleats at the end of each long day on the dirt.

Helen Jeffs adventured through more than 30 countries before settling in Australia as a management consultant and mother. She’s used her organisational skills, leadership and tenacity to plan all sorts of great adventures: 4000m+ peaks in the Atlas, Alps and Himalayan mountain ranges; a 1500km fundraising cycle across the central Australia (3 & 5 year old kids in tow); a 1000km pedal through France on a 4 person tandem with her family. Helen’s media trained and a published writer and photographer.

Kelly Rowley is an ecologist and spends most of her days searching the forests on the NSW South Coast for endangered plants and animals. She is not one to be beaten by a challenge frequently pushing the limits outside her comfort zone. Recent ventures include multi-sport challenges, hiking in the Himalayers and an expedition in the Simpson Desert. The Gibb River Road will be her biggest cycling event yet but she brings enthusiasm, determination and the lyrics to “The pushbike song” to help get her team to the finish line.

Mathew Makeham can be frequently found with his eyes behind the lens of a camera or a pair of binoculars chasing a golden-headed cisticola, painted snipe or the sun set or sun rise where ever he may be. In his other spare time he competes in mountain bike events to help burn off the beers. This is the first time Mat has been on a bike with more than one seat and he doesn’t really know what to expect from a bike without suspension, but promises to pedal hard, limit gas emissions and is looking forward to learning the lyrics to “The pushbike song”.

THE KIDS
Cooper Shaw, son of Denise and her partner Brendan. Being the eldest of three, Cooper gets to enjoy being The Chosen One to share the great Kimberley adventure...and the back seat of the tandem, with his Mum. At aged ten, he has a travel record that stacks up against most adults and is a bit partial to an adventure himself...especially if it makes his mates and younger siblings a wee bit jealous!

Rosie O’Brien was on top of Mt Kosciuszko at three months, solo-ed her first mountain at three years and won her first bike race aged five. Three years later, she pedalled 1000km on a tandem across France. She’s inherited her Dad’s joyous attitude.

Tom O’Brien’s first big adventure was climbing up to an iron-age fort on a wet winter’s day in Wales. He cried all the way up and fell in mud all the way down, but loves the photo of him at the top. Aged four, Tom crossed the central Australian desert on a supported mountain bike adventure. He loves computers and being indoors!