As the 2023 Great Victorian Bike Ride draws closer, staff at Geelong Grammar School are readying all 120 of their Year 8 students for an epic nine-day adventure.
The school first participated in the Great Vic Bike Ride in 1994 and has not missed one since.
The physical and mental health benefits of a big bike ride through spectacular scenery align with the school's emphasis on teamwork, resilience and adventure education.
"We see it as the perfect opportunity for our students to finish middle school with a flourish," says Laura Kearley, head of adventure education.
Traditionally, taking part in the Great Vic has been optional for Year 8 students and has served as ideal preparation for Year 9 at the school's remote Timbertop campus near Mansfield.
Students board for the full year, with no phones or technology, and focus on classroom and outdoor learning. Many discover they they are capable of more than they thought possible.
"We found students who go on Great Vic are the most confident at Timbertop," says Kearley. "The nine days away from their families and technology creates interactions that are face-to-face. The relationships they build in their riding also broaden their social networks. All of this is excellent preparation for Timbertop."
The benefits of the Great Vic were so compelling that this year, Kearley is taking every Year 8 student along for the ride.
This change has doubled the number of attendees from the school as 60 students participated in 2022, but Kearley says Geelong Grammar's expectations of its students remain unchanged.
"That means no mobile phones and we maintain high standards around group safety, helping them communicate on the road and use the language of the Great Vic," she says.
The students have a training passport that requires them to complete 20 hours of physical training such as running, riding or using the on-campus gym. There are also three compulsory training rides, including one to the You Yangs, which features considerable hill climbing on their bikes.
"One of the main benefits of the Great Vic is the greater sense of confidence it gives the kids that they can push through when things are hard," says Kearley.
"They find that when they're 100km into a ride, that they do have more in them and this gives them a great boost for life. It also develops their sense of compassion, to see others struggling and know they're all in it together."
The 2023 Great Vic Bike Ride starts in Orbost on November 25 and travels through Gippsland over nine days to finish in Wonthaggi on Sunday 3 December.
Join us for the 40th celebration of the Great Vic! Sign up by 12 May to secure a FREE commemorative t-shirt.
Book NowBecome our friend
Find out more about Bicycle Network and support us in making it easier for people to ride bikes.