In 2022 the Bikes for Blokes duo, Bruce and Paul, cycled the length of NZ raised a whopping $200,000 for Farmstrong NZ and the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry NZ.

This year they are going even bigger, and we are proud to get behind them once again to help them reach their goal of raising $400,000 for their chosen charities and initiatives to support the Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay farming communities.

This year team are taking a different route through the country and will be joined by additional riders, Mark, Andy and John who are each tasked with raising at least $50,000 each, in addition to covering all their own travel expenses.

As a result of Bruce and Paul’s fundraising efforts last year, Farmstrong New Zealand were able to print another 10,000 copies of the book Live Well Farm Well, a book they aim to get into the hands of every farming family in NZ. Farmstrong was also able to create two more online modules targeting farmer’s mental health.

The Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry NZ benefited from Bruce and Paul’s donation by employing PHD students to turn collected data into insights to help identify men who may get prostate cancer and also those who may not make a full recovery and may need additional support.

The key theme of Bruce and Paul’s cycle journey is chat to your mates, and get going early on telling your GP if something’s not right. Often men are reticent in talking about health issues and think it can wait until another day. Bruce’s message to blokes is to “put your hand up. You need to be a bit proactive, if you want to chat your mates, they need to know there’s a problem”. Or, if you know a mate is struggling with something, reach out and create a space where they are free to talk.

Currently approaching Masterton via the Whangaehu Valley Road, the team have raised over $130,000 to-date and are due to cross from the North to South Island on Sunday, 5 March.

To donate or find out more about the Bike for Blokes journey visit bikeforblokes.co.nz