Mārahau’s Al Rynn has not long parked up his long-distance gravel bike after an epic ride down the length of the North Island, a bucket-list adventure that saw him tick off a string of backroads he had never before ridden.
But the ride from Pukekohe to Mārahau also had a more sombre purpose.
Al, who celebrated his 61st birthday last week, hopes the adventure will raise $20,000 to support people living with motor neuron disease (MND), the degenerative illness he was diagnosed with last September.
His North Island mission took 17 days, with a couple of rest days thrown into the mix - “annual leave,” Al jokes.
He was thrilled to be met by a dozen friends and family to accompany him along part of the home stretch, with the Māpua Ferry even putting on a special sailing to get the group across from Rabbit Island.
He says biking is his happy place, giving him plenty of time to decompress. Conditions were challenging at times, but as his fundraising page states, he did not pick July because he likes the cold.
“I'm just aware as my condition progresses my ability to do such things will be taken from me.”
Al and his wife Cath have been part of the local tourism scene for many years, first establishing Southern Exposure Sea Kayaking before establishing Mārahau’s Kanuka Ridge Backpackers.
A health-conscious person who had always pushed himself physically, Al developed a persistent cough before noticing his speech becoming slurred.
After undergoing tests, he was diagnosed with progressive bulbar palsy, a variant of MND that primarily affects speech and swallowing.
His speech has since become increasingly slurred and thickened, and he sometimes experiences muscle spasms. But he remains fit and physically able, still capable of taking on the long-distance adventures that have always been an important part of his life.
The couple began making decisions quickly and deliberately about how they wanted to spend the time ahead.
Since the diagnosis, they have continued ticking off bucket-list adventures, including a trip to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal.
Most people with MND live for just two to three years after diagnosis.
But Al says there is a particular mindset that comes with knowing time may be limited.
“When you’ve got MND, you’ve got nothing to lose,” he says.
He believes in the proven power of hope and positivity, and wants to squeeze every drop out of life that he can.
Much of that is making memories with the people closest to him. He and Cath have two daughters, Tarn and Francesca, and three grandchildren, with another on the way.
Al’s fundraising page has attracted more than $16,600, with donations coming in from as far afield as the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and Canada, as close friends and one-time acquaintances alike support his cause.
He hopes to top $20,000 and says the comments accompanying donations provide a powerful force of motivation and goodwill.
He also hopes to raise awareness. There are currently about 35 people across Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough engaging with Motor Neuron Disease New Zealand, up from about 20 just two years ago – an anomaly that can not yet be explained.
For Al, the fundraising is ultimately about making the most of the time he has and helping others along the way.
“I’ve never been that person that gives up,” he says.
People wanting to support Al’s fundraiser can donate at: https://fundraise.mnd.org.nz/en/al-rynn.
