Wayne’s epic outback adventure
The NSA community champion is taking on a new challenge and wants us to come along for the ride.
Wayne Sticher, who last year received National Seniors Australia's Everald Compton Community Champion Award, is not a man to rest on his laurels.
He could be forgiven for taking a break after years of work establishing Cycling Without Age Australia, a charity that provides free rides on specially adapted tricycles for seniors and people with disabilities, first on the Gold Coast, then around the country.
But in his new role as ambassador for the Winton Outback Festival, the retired firefighter is embarking on an extraordinary 4,000-kilometre road trip, cycling from the Gold Coast to Winton and back, starting on 28 August 2025.
This immense undertaking, using a four-metre-long Yuba Super Mars cargo bike towing a trailer, aims to challenge Wayne himself and, more importantly, to raise awareness and vital funds for Cycling Without Age.
While he admits some people might label him a “lunatic”, Wayne's aim is to promote the charity’s profound impact on older Australians with mobility issues, who have enjoyed rides around their local area provided by volunteer cyclists.
Wayne’s fundraising venture has received some support from NSA for his outback adventure, in the form of a drone that will be used to video highlights of the trip. He has already tested this “amazing machine” and created some spectacular aerial footage of the Gold Coast.
His route to Winton will predominantly follow dirt roads, where he expects to encounter lots of characters and their stories. Experience from previous rides tells him that those conversations will often begin with a statement such as, “Mate, you’re a freaking lunatic”, which he sees as a compliment.
Cycling Without Age is a 100% voluntary organisation operating without any core funding or corporate support. Wayne says that it not only brings joy to the seniors who use the service, but also to the volunteers who get joy and fulfilment from providing that service.
“We’re a charity that punches way beyond our level – and the benefits that we provide to the community, not only to our participants, but also to our volunteers, are just staggering,” he says.
“But – and there's always a but, you know – we’re unfunded.”
Despite the challenges, the service is currently carrying about 800 people a month, having recently funded a 12th trishaw, each one costing $25,000.
These trishaws are crucial for their operations, but as Wayne notes, the organisation also needs “legs to turn the pedals”.
With no paid staff, the current volunteers work “far in excess of what could reasonably be expected”, and Wayne worries about sustainability. He’d like to be able to pay staff or provide some other form of compensation.
He also highlights the delicate balance of their success, stating that the impression they are “doing OK” might deter potential donors, making it harder to secure the consistent funding needed to avoid being a “flavour of the month” charity.
Wayne says the benefits of Cycling Without Age extend far beyond just providing rides for older Australians.
For many of the passengers, it’s a rare opportunity to experience life outdoors.
“We know that a lot of people in aged care and with disabilities never get outside their four walls,” he says. “We’ve had people that haven’t been out for two or three years.”
Wayne says carers have told him that they’ve noticed improvements in sleep, appetite, and mood among passengers after their rides.
“This is so simple and yet it’s so powerful.”
Wayne says there are also upsides for volunteer cyclists, with the program fostering community engagement, personal growth, and therapeutic benefits.
For many of the volunteers, including Wayne himself, it’s about continuing to have adventures and enjoying life, regardless of age.
You can contribute to Wayne’s GoFundMe here.
For more information about Cycling Without Age, click here.
Photo: Wayne Sticher (left) pictured with NSA founder Everald Compton.
