mmg.com.au

Echuca’s Brent Grundy believes the pain of riding more than 450km over four days was worth it.

Mr Grundy rode from Echuca to Portland to raise money and awareness of spinal cord injury group Independence Australia.

After finishing the ride on Saturday, Mr Grundy said he was sore, but glad to have completed the journey.

‘‘It made having a sore bum worth it,’’ he said.

Mr Grundy has raised $3220 for the charity and also had the chance to raise awareness of spinal cord injury.

‘‘As I rode closer to Portland, I had a few more toots,’’ he said.

‘‘Along the way I had a woman pull me up to make a donation. She had no idea who I was or what I was doing but she wanted to help.’’

Mr Grundy said despite a 170km trip on day three from Ararat to Heywood, the first leg from Echuca to Maryborough was the hardest leg of the ride.

‘‘I think it was the heat,’’ he said as he revealed his red legs.

‘‘As I rode into the hills, I thought to myself that if I could survive having a personal trainer try to break me in the gym, then I could survive the climb. The hills were not going to break me,’’ he said.

Mr Grundy said the final moments of the ride were his highlight.

‘‘Riding into Portland I rode with my son and my daughter was pushing my father’s wheelchair,’’ he said.

‘‘Having my father, who inspired me to do this, on the ride was great. He was pretty damn happy with what I had done.’’

After donating his body for a few days of pain, Mr Grundy said he would be keen to continue to raise money for Independence Australia in the future.