Spinning for Spinal Support event raises $6000 for spinal support group, Stronger Together, ahead of major Orange to Newcastle ride

A core group of seven riders - plus another fifty-or-so volunteers who took part - kept the pedals spinning from 5pm Friday until 5pm Saturday, with the woman they were riding for, Katherine Swain, there to cheer them on through the final punishing hours.

Mrs Swain, 35, a former Orange resident who now lives in Newcastle, sustained a serious spinal injury last year after diving into a shallow pool.

She and her husband David have now set up 'Stronger Together', with a mission to provide education about spinal injuries to the wider community, improve accessibility and provide specialist equipment for those with spinal injuries in regional areas.

Combined with a family fun day and a 'Karma Keg', the Integra Gym spin-a-thon raised close to $6000 for Stronger Together and came ahead of the main fundraising event on March 14 that will see a group of Katherine's closest friends from Orange set out on a five-day, 500km 'Spinning for Spinal Support' ride to Newcastle.

Those riders were all there at the weekend, with the spin-a-thon providing a good training opportunity. The group taking on the 500 kilometre ride are not professional riders and have minimal cycling experience, says participant Harry Fardell, so they've been putting in the hard yards to ready themselves for the upcoming ride that will see them ride for up to eight hours each day.

"It was good a training run," he said, "it (the Orange to Newcastle ride) will be a massive challenge."

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