Awesome foursome

By Shaun Inguanzo
DANDENONG accountant Roy Sanderson and his troupe of fellow bike riders have raised $24,000 for Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance ahead of this weekend’s Remembrance Day.
But the hardest part of Mr Sanderson’s fundraiser is yet to come as he this week flies out to Thailand to complete a gruelling 400 kilometre bike ride through the Hellfire Pass region where many World War II diggers lost their lives.
In April, Mr Sanderson revealed he was training for the event but had to raise at least $5000 to have the Shrine allow him to ride on the Hellfire Pass.
His fellow riders, Colin Van der Lught, Robert Pol Bodetto and brother James Sanderson also raised $5000 – and then some more – to catapult the total to $24,000.
The awesome foursome will depart Australia tomorrow (Friday) and arrive in Thailand in time for a 11 November Remembrance Day commemoration at the Hellfire Pass shrine, in what could be one of the most emotional events of the journey.
“It will be exceptionally moving,” Mr Sanderson said, “and is part of what I’m going there for.”
Now that the two main goals have been accomplished – getting fit and raising money – Mr Sanderson said the bike riding team was hoping to enjoy the 10-day journey which will allow them to see Thailand in a most unconventional manner.
“Some of the excitement of the trip will be through things that are very unique,” he said.
“One night we are sleeping in barges on the river, another we are camping out, and another we are billeted out to Thai families.
“It is definitely not the touristy sort of thing.”
Mr Sanderson said the team had to learn about Thai cultural dos and do-nots, including their place in the traffic hierarchy.
“We’ve had instructions that we are bike riders, so we have less rights on Thai roads than trucks, cars, chickens and buffalos. “We come last on a list of what’s important there, so we have to always be careful because we are going from village to village (and using the roads).” Mr Sanderson this week warmed up for the 400 kilometre ride with a 50 kilometre ride from Berwick to Frankston and back, and a 30 kilometre ride from Dandenong to Berwick and back.