By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
THEY were going so fast you may not have seen them, but a group of cyclists sped through Ferntree Gully last week for a special cause.
The riders are taking part in the annual Paceline Ride, an event to raise awareness and funds for the issue of cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats. The trip covers 1400 kilometres over eight days and will loop participants from Beaumaris through regional towns such as Yea, Wangaratta, Echuca, Hall’s Gap and then to the finish line at Queensbridge Square in Melbourne this Friday November 14.
Steve Quinn founded Paceline in 2003 after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and is the now the president of the charity. He says the ride aims to raise funds for vital research into the causes and treatments of cardiac arrhythmias and to raise community awareness about associated conditions.
“There are people that think that an irregular heartbeat is an isolated condition, when in reality it can lead to much larger issues.
“The number of people being hospitalised due to an irregular heartbeat is growing at three times the rate of other heart problems.”
Steve is encouraging Ferntree Gully residents of all ages to have a pulse test in order to pick up the condition before it becomes a more serious problem.
“Close to one-in-five sufferers are unaware they have the condition, leaving them at risk of a potentially life-threatening stroke, heart failure or sudden death.
“A simple pulse test can be the first step in detecting a heartbeat irregularity and could help save thousands of lives.”
For more information or to donate to the ride, visit www.paceline.com.au.
