Name: My name is Terence Shannon, albeit I go by the name of Terry. I have been an active BJ and JP for more than 40 years and am still the coordinator of JPs working at Wonthaggi police station. In 2020 I received the honour of the Order of Australia in recognition of 30 years of CFA membership, as well as JP duties, Lions Club, St Vincent DePaul along with my military service in days long gone and my current pro bono work in the area of health.

Age: I am 81 years old.

Located: I live near the surf beach at Inverloch I am very often in the water through most of the year. This is one of my main interests along with cycling, gardening and the above-mentioned work at Bass Coast health and other health centres in South Gippsland.Cycling experience:  I have never been a member of a cycling group, the nearest thing to it as having been a member of a HOG Harley Davidson motorcycle enthusiast’s group.

What ride will you be entering in 2022 BCCC? I'm suspect it will be the 40km, because my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will come down to make it a picnic weekend and I would want to spend much time with them.

What bike will you be riding? E-bike

What inspired you to ride initially? I worked until I was 78, I had an international practice in human behaviour reflecting my doctorate in cognitive science. I have lived and worked in many countries predominantly Russia and all the countries of the former Soviet Union, all of China, and a number of south-eastern Asia countries.  

Some of the time I lived in those places and maintained apartments therein, but I also spent some considerable time commuting from Inverloch to Moscow, Beijing Shanghai Tokyo and such places. I worked with General Managers and President’s of the companies owned by the worlds largest private company Mars Inc… I also addressed large conferences in many places. I enjoyed riding in many of these places. In Beijing, Shanghai, Moscow I kept various bicycles and in other places in Russia, China, Malaysia,Vietnam and  Singapore where I would stay in hotels I always insisted that the hotel have a bicycle waiting for me as part of the accommodation.  

More recently I had a very nice carbon road bike, but on my doctor's advice I changed to an Ebike after being found unconscious on a rail trail with a cardiac issue. At first I greatly disliked the new Ebicycle but have come to enjoy it very much. 

I use my bicycle far more than I use my car, going to meetings, shopping using the bicycle as a utility vehicle as well as really enjoying all the rail trails both here in Bass Coast, as well as further afield in Victoria. 

Why do you ride now? What does riding give you / how does it make you feel? One of the things I like about riding is that you see so much more, whether in the countryside or in the street of a suburb, your elevated height in the comfortable speed at which you move enable you to see so much more of interest. Also, when riding, I feel I'm doing something sensible for myself… And yet, I am continually rewarded by the feel of the air going past my face the warmth in my legs as they pump along.

What are some of your favourite riding routes ? A favourite and most enjoyable ride in Australia was made possible by working in the medical centre at Bright on Fridays and spending my weekends paragliding off Mount Emu and Mount Buffalo.  

Overseas I particularly like riding in the villages along the rivers of the delta country in the south of Vietnam. One of my most memorable rides was to do 800 km in 10 days in Vietnam's rural areas with my best mate,  with whom I have enjoyed and shared life for 50 years plus. Apart from riding of an evening, and by riding I mean just cruising around or going from place to place finding matters of interest, on weekends in Moscow I enjoyed taking the early morning train to a village which was on the Moskva River, and cruising back  on my bike along the flat lands beside the stream.

Do you have a favourite riding memory / story? When I lived in St Petersburg I could ride across the huge frozen Neva river,  past the Hermitage and Winter Palace to the office from my apartment…but I only did this twice just so I could truthfully claim to have done so! I fell off many times ... and only possible at all with some packed snow rather than Ice.

What do you like about the Bass Coast Cycle Challenge? I like the BCCC because it draws interest both to the delightful town in which I am a resident with a connotation of healthy lifestyle.

What advice would you give to anyone teetering on whether to enter the ride or not? I think one of the best slogans that any commercial enterprise ever had was the one which the athletic equipment company NIKE promulgated for some time, you may remember that it urged one and all to ”Just Do IT”.  It is excellent advice each and every person whether we talk about sport or education or just being kind to other people, and most certainly would be an excellent thing for anybody teetering on whether to enter - “Just Do It”.