16/04/2026
Day 6 – Ride for Lily - Benalla to Bendigo 🚴♂️
A massive day in the saddle today, just shy of 200km from Benalla to my hometown of .
It was pretty special being part of the first Ride for Lily to come through Bendigo, and even more so to have my whole family, including Mum and Dad, waiting at the finish line.
We got off to a flying start, helped by a slight easterly tailwind on the run to Shepparton. The first 70km ticked over at around 32km/h, and we managed to hold that pace for another 60km through to the silos at Colbinabbin. Safe to say I was pretty cooked by the time we rolled in there.
After lunch, things got real. I hit the wall and spent the final 55km battling a tough headwind with just one other rider, a gruelling way to finish the day.
Today was also “Pink Jersey Day”, where past top fundraisers of each ride wear the Sianne Hester Inspiration Award jersey. It’s a powerful reminder of Sianne and everything she gave to the foundation while bravely fighting her own battle with breast cancer. I thought of my friend a lot today, and I’m sure her spirit helped get me through that last stretch.
One day to go. Tomorrow we ride back into Melbourne, finishing at Riverside Golf Club in Ascot Vale around 3–4pm. If you’ve supported along the way and want to come down, it’d be great to see you there.
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me this year — through messages, encouragement and donations. It genuinely means a lot. We’re now close to $215k raised, and I’ve personally passed $12,500, which is incredible.
If you’d like to support: https://live-for-lily-foundation.grassrootz.com/act-to-mcg/phil-martins or see link in Bio