An 82-year-old cyclist who rode 3,300 miles across Australia for charity has died a day after finishing the journey.
Bob Montgomery’s death was unexpected but peaceful, his family said in a statement on social media, the BBC reports. He had completed a six-week ride he called “One Last Ride”, from Broome in Western Australia to Bowral, south-west of Sydney.
Riding with his 18-year-old grandson Tom Malcolm, he raised about A$105,000 – roughly US$74,000 – for the motor neurone disease charity MND NSW. It was his sixth fundraising ride for the organisation, a cause his family said was deeply personal to him after he lost a cousin to the disease. His previous rides had brought in almost A$300,000.
The pair arrived in Bowral on Sunday to loud applause from his local community, according to the national broadcaster ABC. Montgomery said he had been kept going by the people he met along the route, and by a beer or two at each stop.
Malcolm carried on to Sydney on Monday, where the family gathered again to celebrate. Shortly after that party Montgomery suffered a medical episode, MND NSW chief executive Liam O’Meara said. His wife of 59 years, Jenny, was with him when he died. O’Meara said he was deeply saddened, describing Montgomery as a cherished friend and a tireless supporter of the charity.
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Source: BBC News
