Two years ago, intrepid Rotarians Joyce and Phil Ogden from the Rotary Club of South Launceston rode a tandem bicycle 3,000km ride from Perth to Adelaide across the Nullarbor. Their efforts raised $38,000 for End Polio.

Article by PDG Murray Verso, End Polio Now Coordinator

Joyce and Phil are now riding a similar distance from Adelaide to Sydney. They left Adelaide on Wednesday 3 April and plan to arrive in Penrith NSW on Wednesday 29 May. En route they will visit and speak at 30 Rotary Clubs and hope to raise even more money than they did on their 2022 ride.

Through the publicity generated by their inspiring ride, Phil and Joyce will be seeking funds not only from clubs but also the wider community. Using social media, they are attracting donations from the public using the catchphrase ‘hitting polio for six’, They are encouraging donations in multiples of $6.00 to be made via a QR code linked to the Rotary donation portal.

Now in their mid-seventies Phil and Joyce have ridden their tandem bike in multiple countries across varying terrains, including the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Rockies. They ride on their own without a support crew.

As Phil, a retired anaesthetist says, “I think everybody feels polio has disappeared, and it really hasn't. But if we take our minds off eradication efforts, it will start to spread back, Over the next 100 years, we will save billions of dollars if we can eradicate it now."

Phil’s brother was hospitalized with polio at the age of seven and years later developed post-polio syndrome. Joyce grew up in Bristol, UK and remembers that before the polio vaccine became available, "people were scared".

Here is a link to a video about the ride: Ogdens 2024 Ride.mov

Please spread information about the Ogdens’ inspirational 8 week ride and encourage donations via the QR code or the URL : https://raise.rotary.org/joyce+phil/challenge