Ride Out Dementia: Fundraising Ride for Healthy Brain Ageing — 18 September

My name is Janice Fitzpatrick. I am 81 years old, and in September 2024 I lost my husband, Bernie, to dementia. He was also 81.

Bernie and I had been a team for 60 years. We met as young trainee teachers, aged 19 and 20, at Wagga Wagga Teachers College in 1964. We married, moved several times throughout our teaching careers and raised our family of seven children together.

One of the interests we shared was cycling. Bernie continued riding until just 11 months before his passing. In retirement, we completed several rather lengthy fundraising rides for different causes.

Seeing dementia affect my soulmate was devastating. It took Bernie from being the intelligent, dedicated, loving and fit husband and father we knew. I want to do something to support research so that fewer families have to experience the same loss. Without better treatments or a cure, dementia may one day affect our children and grandchildren, who are now in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.

I was inspired when I heard Professor Henry Brodaty, who has dedicated so much of his life to dementia research at UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, speak after being named the 2026 Senior Australian of the Year. I decided I would organise a fundraising bike ride to support this important work.

At 9 am on Friday 18 September 2026, I will ride 40 kilometres around Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin, including the steep climbing loop up to the National Arboretum. The ride will start and finish on the lake foreshore cycle path at Acton Park.

I will drive from my Wollongong home the day before, with my bike tyres pumped and ready for the challenge.

To some people, 40 kilometres might be just down the road. But try it when you are 81 years old!

And no, it’s not an e-bike!