I didn’t know Adam Smiddy, but I kind of wish I had.  Adam Smiddy was a talented physiotherapist, a triathlete and a loved friend of many.  On 6 August 2006, 26 year old Adam Smiddy passed away after a short and brave battle against an aggressive melanoma. I have gotten to know a little bit about Adam through my friend Anna Tate who in 2012, cycled 2500km across the Nullabor Desert in his memory. Reading through the heartfelt tributes about Adam on website Smiling for Smiddy – I think he was the kind of guy everyone would have liked to know.

Great mates Adam Smiddy and Mark ‘Sharky’ Smoothy loved to ride and often talked about doing a credit card ride – riding for a few days in one direction with nothing more than a credit card in their pocket, then catching a bus home. That dream was never realised.

Soon after Adam passed away, Mark and two friends cycled a gruelling 1600kms from UQ Aquatic Centre in Brisbane to Home Hill in Townsville, where Adam’s parents lived, to raise funds for cancer research in memory of Adam.

This ride is now an annual event (the 2013 ride is 7-14 September) and Smiling for Smiddy has so far raised over $3 million for cancer research and support services.

My inspiring friend Anna now has a new target, this time a little bit closer to home,  in a few weeks she will do a 3 day ride to Toowoomba and Warwick, then in September she will “pop down to Tasmania for a loop.”

She says this “loop” bit, in exactly the same way as she says “and now do 50 push ups”, like it is no big deal.  You see Anna, moonlights as a personal trainer, running twice weekly bootcamp sessions* at Gregory Park in Milton (Brisbane) and she is donating 100% of her fee to Smiling to Smiddy.   Yep, that is right, you go to a park, get fit and ALL of the money you pay goes to cancer research.  AMAZING.

But dont worry, you dont have to go to bootcamp to donate to the cause (phew I hear you sigh) simply visit Anna’s fundraising page here and applaud her very kind efforts with a donation.

Follow Smiling for Smiddy on facebook or contact them via email info@smiddy.org.au

* Bootcamp is 6am Friday mornings and 4:30pm Sunday afternoons at Gregory Park Milton, Brisbane, $10 per session. Email Anna on tateanna@hotmail.com if you want to join in.