Riding for Roberta: Michael Ciavarella, Matthew Dobeli, Ray Hamilton, Karen Griffiths, Simon Fenton and John Bryant pose with Roberta’s bike ahead of the Roberta Hamilton Celebration Cup this Saturday, which will be raced in her memory. Photo: Alexander Dabb.
Photo by
Alexander Dabb
When members of the Echuca Moama Cycling Club roll across the start line for the fourth race in their winter road series on Saturday, they will be doing so in honour of long-time club member Roberta Hamilton.
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Roberta passed away in June last year aged 73 following a five-year battle with a rare type of kidney cancer, and as the one-year anniversary of her passing nears, the club will honour her memory with the introduction of the perpetual Roberta Hamilton Celebration Cup.
The contributions Roberta made to the club were endless, often volunteering as an on-course marshal while her husband, Ray Hamilton, was racing, and she was well known for her love of the post-race celebrations.
"She got cancer five years ago and she survived for that length of time,” Mr Hamilton said.
“I've been heavily involved in Echuca Moama Cycling Club for probably for the last 25 years, and over that period of time I’ve probably been president 10 times over there.
“When I would be racing, she would come out and marshal, stand on the corner with a flag, although in saying that, the part she enjoyed was afterwards having a drink of wine.”
Roberta’s efforts were not limited to the club, however, with the broader cycling community benefiting from her involvement, making a race named in her honour a fitting tribute.
“We were heavily involved, besides the Echuca Moama Cycling Club, with a couple of rides that we raise money for the hospital here, the Port to Port and the Murray to Moyne,” Mr Hamilton said.
“She came on those and helped with those probably for over 15 years I suppose, she was heavily involved in cycling in general just with the local community.
“It was only fitting that they get a perpetual cup for her."
In a display of her selfless attitude, Roberta was also responsible for organising a ride for a friend who sadly lost her battle with cancer around five years ago.
“She did also organise a girls’ ride out many years ago for a friend that had lost her battle with cancer as well, so she did that for five years,” Karen Griffiths, daughter of Roberta and Ray, said.
“It was a small committee that organised a girls’ ride out that was held about five years ago, but for five years in a row. She loved riding her bike every day, she rode around the village every morning.”
Fitting tribute: Roberta Hamilton aboard her pink-splashed bike. Competitors in the Roberta Hamilton Celebration Cup are encouraged to wear a touch of pink in recognition. Photo: Supplied.
Photo by
Alexander Dabb
When the racing gets under way at 2pm on Saturday, the riders will be wearing a touch of pink, an nod to Roberta’s love for the colour, which even appeared on her bike.
“She was right into pink,” Mr Hamilton said.
“That bike was mine originally, probably 15 years ago, and just happened to be a team bike for the Tour de France, and it was pink.
“She snaffled it and rode it around, so we brought it back out again."
Alongside the Roberta Hamilton Celebration Cup, there will be an organised ride and barbecue to raise funds for the Echuca Regional Health Cancer and Wellness Centre in June, which will coincide with the anniversary of Roberta’s passing.
“Twelve months ago, just before she passed away, we had a ride from the hospital, a Sunday morning ride, and they came back there again, and we had breakfast there, and the money we raised went to the Cancer and Wellness Centre,” Mr Hamilton said.
“We’re actually organising another one on the 25th of June, which is only a month away. That happens to be the day that she actually passed away.
“We’ll probably try to do a few things ongoing, because she was so involved.”
Coinciding with the race in memory of Roberta on Saturday will be the first of three ‘come and try’ events for prospective new members, with cycling coach and EMCC member Sarah Mulkearns teaching practical skills in a guided group ride.
EMCC president Matthew Dobeli hopes it will help those interested in giving cycling a try feel more comfortable attending races in the future.
“We just want to encourage new people to come and try cycling,” he said.
“We do realise that going from riding a bike in your own time to turning up to a race can be intimidating with not necessarily knowing the etiquette and not knowing anyone. So, we thought we might run a series of events just to learn the basics of riding in a bunch.”
The event will form part of the fourth round of racing in the EMCC winter road series, following on from last weekend’s ‘Harry’s Handicap’ race, which was won by Heather Lias in a spectacular effort, riding entirely on her own after setting off first as the limit rider.
Young gun Levi Hone set off in the final ‘scratch’ group, and despite recording the fastest time of the day, was unable to catch Lias and finished second. Levi’s father, Mick, and Lenny Griffiths were the other two ‘scratch’ riders, and finished third and fourth respectively on the day.
The Roberta Hamilton Celebration Cup will begin at 2pm on Saturday, May 27, with competitors riding the Kotta Loop course starting on Mt Terrick Rd.
