I feel very honoured to be here, if I wasn't here I'd be riding by myself so thank you for giving me so much company, I really appreciate it.
It's quite a big ride you've got today – quite a big ride – but it's for a terrific cause. The Black Dog Institute does enormously good work and it's helping to raise awareness of mental health and mental health is probably the hidden epidemic in our community. Something like one in five Australians will have an episode of mental ill-health in any one year, it's something that is happening everywhere, but it's so often unrecognised and it's so often untreated.
That's why it's important to do things like this – not just to raise money – but also to raise awareness and as all of you who are regular cyclists would know, there are few things which are better for your own mental health than vigorous, regular exercise. I know myself if I didn't get out for a ride or a run or a trip to the gym every morning, I would feel vastly more fragile than I do. So, I think in doing this today you're raising money, you're raising awareness and you're actually engaging in a bit of marvellous therapy.
Thanks everyone, I'm looking forward to the ride. Stay safe and let's form a nice, tight, easy-paced peloton.
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