Cycling can be bigger & be more important than the next race or a single event. In this crew story, LUPA Crew legend Louise Curtis shares how cycling has come to be her pain relief, mode of transport, and the fuel for her passion to fundraise for charities as she achieves what she was once told would be impossible.
I haven’t always been involved with bikes. In my teens I was a competitive swimmer and dancer, I’ve always been active. At age 16 I started instructing Group Fitness and Swimming to get me through University and Nursing training. I’ve also dabbled in Triathlon, Road Cycling and Mountain Bike racing (discovered I was pregnant after completing the Karapoti with my first daughter).
But in 2012 my life changed forever. I was training towards the ‘Taupo Cycle Challenge’ which I’d completed twice before and working as a Fitness Instructor-Land and Aqua/Swim Coach and for Sport Wellington Green Prescription. A friend asked me to support her with a HIIT style class at the gym before it went on the time table. As I was running across the room in this, I had a narrow miss dodging between a man and a pole where I ended up landing hard and heavy on my right foot. I haven’t been able to walk properly since with pins and needles; and weird sensations still occurring to this day. As a result I couldn’t do any impact activities at all due to the sensations in my foot/leg and I got back into cycling more because it helped to be active and decrease my pain levels.
With the sensations and pain in my foot/leg continuing to getting very complicated; I was sent for a Head MRI and a Brain Tumour was discovered. In 2013 I had an Awake Craniotomy to remove what was supposed to be a low-grade Glioma but it turned out to be grade ¾ Cancer. They got 80% out and I was told I had 1-5 years left to live. I wasn’t going to accept their timeframes and I was committed to beating these odds and driving my life with purpose!
During my treatment; I was cycling in the mornings on my wind-trainer before Radiation and Chemo for 6 weeks and then during the next 6 months still training while undergoing Chemo. As soon as I finished my combined treatment I joined a Road Cycle Team and they were my life-savers! I needed a distraction from what my life was now and they really helped me to hone in on a a purposeful way to make a difference with my life.
In 2014 I asked my Oncologist if I could hold off the last Chemo to do an event with the Team. We entered the ‘Grape Ride’ in Blenheim and this was the first of my many events fundraising for various Charities. I specifically started fundraising for Cancer Society and Malaghan Institute (I even had a Mouse called Bob with part of my Brain Tumour at the Institute they were researching on for different types of Chemo) at this time. I took this further to then get involved with Canteen – ‘The Crank’- as their Ambassador for an Indoor Cycle Class at Les Mills over 12 hours in 2014 and 2015; Mary Potter Hospice and Ronald McDonald House Challenges plus many Tough Girl Challenges. Every km I conquer has meaning and purpose.
In 2018 I had to retire from work completely and so I started to think about challenges to achieve more with my life. In 2019 I set the bar high and challenged myself to complete the ‘Tour Aotearoa’. Now this involved me training on a Mountain Bike and allowing my head and brain to take the knocks you get when you’re off-road. That in itself was very challenging to mentally overcome, the fear of what if… and having to really push myself outside of my comfort zone. Riding & fundraising for the Cancer Society I completed TA in 25 days, which was a lot less than I thought I would!
Then in 2020 I got hit by a careless driver while on my Road Bike and was nearly killed. A concussion after brain surgery was like a double whammy to my health and mental state, but it didn’t stop me. As soon as I got the all clear from the concussion I was back on my wind trainer and hitting the gym to get stronger, then back on the road soon after.
This year, in 2022, I have completed the amended ‘Kopiko Aotearoa’ from Tauranga to Cape Egmont fundraising for the Cancer Society. I rode with Escape Adventures who were a fantastic group of like-minded individuals; and just loved riding in my new LUPA Hex top and pink socks. With COVID implications we had route and accommodation changes; but our spirits were high and we got it done.
I have also just this March, 2022, completed riding 1500km raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Challenge and am now setting my attention to a fundraiser for the Malaghan Institute as I ride 1000km this May. I’ll also be formulating another adventure later in the year as a fundraising ride for the Cancer Society.
Cycling has become my way of life, the fuel to my purpose and focus to keep on going; and to be able to give over $80,000 to various charities that I’ve been involved with is so meaningful to me and why I keep riding. With over 3800km already done for this year, I’m hoping to finish out 2022 with over 13,000km total all the while still dealing with the effects of brain surgery and concussion. I can’t wait to keep you up to date with my next adventure and hope you can support my riding journey. You can donate at any time to Cancer Society and to Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.
Thank you for reading my story; and Happy Cycling!
Louise Curtis
