The world's best cyclists climbed Ramah Avenue 12 times during Wollongong's 2022 world championships, with the steep street developing a reputation as the place that could make or break riders.
But that hasn't deterred former Illawarra professional cyclist Josh Berry from challenging himself to ride up the Mount Pleasant stretch 100 times - equivalent to the elevation of Mount Everest - to raise money for a good cause.
Mr Berry will take to the street on September 30, starting his endurance ride very early in the morning in the hope he will be able to climb 8848 metres by the end of the day.
"The best cyclists in the world rode 12 times up the street, and we're hoping to do 100 - which will probably take up to 15 hours or more," he said.
Unlike during the UCI races, the road will not be closed for the charity event, but Mr Berry is hoping many people will join him to help bring back the festival atmosphere of Ramah Avenue a year ago.
"Ramah Avenue was the highlight on the course - it was the most incredible weekend for people who watched the races from the street," he said.
"We wanted to relive that a little bit - on a much smaller scale, so we are inviting friends and community to come join in the fun on the day and set [their] own participation goal.
"It could be riding 10 laps of Ramah, walking one lap, riding one lap, hosting a barbecue or supporting from the snacks station."
To spread the word, he has enlisted the help of seasoned sports supporters Xavier and Macey Guevara, aged 7 and 9, who live on Ramah Avenue.
The children attracted attention for adorning their picket fence and front yard with flags of world during the bike race, and then repeated their colourful decorations during the recent Matildas games.
"The Guevaras have been working hard to share the event with the community and schools around the area, and Macey and Xavier have also been letterbox dropping for us to get people excited," Mr Berry said.
Mr Berry said he had been doing an annual cycling challenge for the past five years, raising funds for various organisations each year.
This year, his chosen beneficiary is Cycling Without Age Illawarra, the local offshoot of a global program which gives older people who can't ride themselves a chance to enjoy that feeling of wind through their hair again.
"As cycling enthusiasts in all its forms, we are passionate about making cycling accessible for as many people in the community as possible," Mr Berry said.
In June older people in the Illawarra got a taste of how the rides feel when volunteers borrowed a trishaw from Canberra, but the local group needs to raise $20,000 for the Illawarra to have an electric trishaw of its own.
Local CWA president Paul Taylor said the funding pool had just tipped over $14,500.
All donations made during to the Ramah Avenue event will go towards the cost of the Illawarra's own trishaw, as well as the cost of storage and equipment so that rides can be offered regularly to older people.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
