Riders return to saddle in Cork and Oz

So good they biked it twice. Flush with the success of a bike ride in Ireland and Australia last summer, organisers of the Live Your Life Cycle to benefit the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) have launched a repeat for this year.

The inaugural Live Your Life Cycle was ridden over 133km last July in memory of Betty Rue O’Sullivan from Ballincollig to her hometown of Allihies in West Cork, with ex-pats from her GAA club replicating the distance in Perth, Western Australia.

The proceeds from both rides, in addition to individual donations and other sponsored events, totalled €50,000, with a cheque presented to the IMNDA via cycle patron Ronan O’Gara last week in Cork.

O’Gara had surprised Live Your Life Cycle riders last summer when he showed up in Allihies to welcome them over the finish line and organisers, including Betty’s son Ollie, were further delighted last week to welcome O’Gara back on board as their ambassador for the 2014 ride, scheduled for July 19.

Oliver Rue O’Sullivan, Betty’s husband, said he hoped “the funds raised will help ease the burden on other families who have loved ones suffering with this disease. The support we received from the IMNDA when Betty was sick was fantastic and we couldn’t have got through it without them.”

Registration forms and details can be found on www.liveyourlifecycle.com.