Peaks Legend Luke Martin is riding Peaks Challenge this year in honour of his late friend and cycling enthusiast Jeff Vague.
Luke and Jeff connected by riding. Jeff was extremely fit and had conquered Peaks Challenge three times. For Luke, cycling had always been something more casual — he loved to ride, but didn't imagine he would ever complete a Peaks Challenge.
But when Jeff was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer (glioblastoma), everything changed. It was a shock diagnosis as Jeff was a very healthy and active person, and only in his early fifties.
Jeff and Luke kept riding for a while, but the world started to shrink. Due to balance and vision issues, they were restricted to Perrins Creek repeats on quiet weekdays. After almost a year of treatments, when outdoor rides were no longer possible, they sat side by side on their Zwift trainers in Jeff's lounge. But they kept riding.
Jeff passed away in October 2024. Before he did, Luke promised he'd have a crack at Peaks.
Luke says training has been tough, but he's determined to see it through.
"I am not your typical mountain goat," he admits. "I'm a big fella, and every metre of vertical gain is a battle against gravity, something Jeff used to make look effortless. He would always wait for me at the top of the climbs. Now, as I prepare for the Peaks Challenge, I can still feel my mate waiting and cheering me on at the top of every climb.
"On March 8, when I hit the back of Falls Creek, the last climb of Peaks Challenge, I will be doing a very hard thing, very deliberately.
"Jeff did that every day he lived with his illness, facing it with the same courage, patience and quiet determination that cycling had taught him.
"This ride is for him."
Luke has generously chosen to use his ride to fundraise for Bicycle Network's Ride2School program to pay this love of riding forward to the next generation.
The Ride2School program is aimed at getting more kids riding or walking to school.
Over the past 40 years, the number of children who are physically active everyday has plummeted. A recent study from the University of Sydney showed that 61% of students now get to school by car. (https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2026/02/04/almost-two-thirds-of-school-trips-taken-in-cars-.html)
Students who ride or walk to school contribute to their minimum physical activity level of 60 minutes per day and are more focused and engaged than those who travel to school by car.
"I am riding for Jeff," says Luke. "I am also riding to raise funds so more kids can discover the same freedom, independence, resilience and fun that Jeff and I found on two wheels."
Become a Peaks Legend and fundraise for Ride2School or donate here.
To learn more about glioblastoma and how you can support vital research, visit https://www.curebraincancer.org.au/about-us/facts-and-stats or https://braintumoursonline.org/
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