The loss of his 17 year old son in a car accident last October has prompted policeman Peter Willott to take up a 665km ride in September in aid of a rescue service.

Senior Constable Willott will join approximately 60 other riders on an eight day mountain bike ride from Warialda to Tamworth in support of the Westpac Helicopter service in the New England North West that will begin on September 19.

The riders will ride from Warialda to Moree, Wee Waa, Narrabri, Baradine, Boggabri, Gunnedah, Quirindi before reaching Tamworth with the longest leg 146km on the second day.

The decision to undertake the ride was a desire to focus on something new as well as a chance to improve his level of fitness.

“After Matt’s accident I needed to focus on something different and saw it as an opportunity to increase my fitness. I haven’t ever done anything like this before but I have been doing a little bit of training,” he said.

“I heard through radio advertising and at the time I had a lack of things to do and think about so I thought, ‘why not’.”

Senior Constable Willott will also hold a number of fundraisers to coincide with the ride that will include a bowls day on August 17, Emmaville golf day on November 16 and weekly raffles at the Tattersall’s Hotel in Emmaville.

Deepwater woman Christine Smith will join Senior Constable Willott on the ride and said her job at the Emmaville Hospital has made her realise the value of the service.

“I like riding, especially with other people. Working at the Emmaville Hospital, I have seen the helicopter in use.

“To my knowledge our small hospital has used it at least three times. I see a real value in supporting the ride,” she said.

“I have done quite a bit of long distance riding. A group of eight of us go on a ride each year. Last year we took two weeks and went on a ride from Sydney to Melbourne which was about 1000km.”

The ride is now in its eighth year and has raised over $342,000 for the NENW service. This year’s event is aimed to raise $110,000 to cover the cost of the fit-out of the night vision system in the helicopter.

The aircraft cockpit fit out will cost $50,000 and each pair of goggles will cost $20,000.