An emotional Remembrance Bicycle Ride

The three-day Remembrance Bicycle Ride broke new ground this year, despite difficult conditions. Here’s how it played out.

The annual Remembrance Bicycle Ride was once again a resounding success this year, with a record $1 million raised to support police families who have lost a loved one.

This year’s ride had a particularly emotional finish, as young legatee Patrick, 15, crossed the line to the roar of his supporters.

Patrick had been interested in the ride after a friend he’d met at a Legacy camp took part last year. The young rider then trained for months for the event on a bike purchased by Police Bank. Throughout his training journey, and the ride itself, Patrick won the hearts of many of the participants and supporters.

The big event

Now celebrating a successful 10th event, the ride includes four pelotons of cyclists making their way from Sydney to Canberra across three days. The 2023 aim was to raise more than $130,000 – a target that was quickly exceeded. In fact, almost a million dollars was raised in total. That’s in addition to the million that was already raised across 10 years of Remembrance bike rides for Legacy.

This year’s event had a grueling start, with wild winds and rain in Sydney making the conditions very challenging for riders on day one. The cyclists began just after dawn at the Remembrance Wall in the Sydney CBD. They then traversed Campbelltown Road and made their way down the Hume Highway to Mittagong.

The second day, thankfully, brought a major improvement in the weather, which lifted the mood for the four pelotons. The riders made their way to Goulburn – the home of the NSW Police Academy. They spent the second evening holding a Kangaroo Court and enjoying some fun and games.

On the final day, riders had another early start, to make their way to Canberra around mid-morning.

Police Bank has been a longtime supporter of the Remembrance Bicycle Ride, which brings together the police community while raising funds for Legacy. The organisation then uses the money to support families who have lost a partner or parent in the line of duty.

For more information about Patrick’s story and to see the full video of the day please visit our Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.