Stroke survivor Tommy Quick is riding with a cause

​

Stroke survivor breaking down barriers Mirage News

Ascot Vale, Victoria - An Ascot Vale man has just under one year to prepare for an incredible endurance Challenge which will see him ride a recumbent trike to the four furthest points of Australia.

27 year old Tommy Quick has marked National Stroke Week by announcing he will tackle the 9,000 kilometre journey from Steep Point in Western Australia to Cape York in Far North Queensland to raise awareness of young stroke along with funds for the Stroke Foundation. Tommy himself survived a stroke at the age of 12.

Tommy said he has already started training for the ride, which will begin on his birthday on August 2, 2021.

“As I travel around Australia, I want people to know that stroke can happen at any age,” Tommy said.

“I am also passionate about promoting stroke research, social inclusion and breaking down preconceived perceptions about disability.

“I don’t like the word disabled. Everyone can set themselves a goal to do something – no matter how big or small it seems. I’d like to empower other stroke survivors to strive to do something they love. I have been working to make the Four Points of Australia idea a reality for four years.”

Tommy has come a long way in his recovery physically and mentally. When Tommy first had the stroke, he spent five weeks in an induced coma and then slowly learnt to swallow, lift his head, walk and talk again.

Tommy’s first big physical challenge was ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Stroke survivor Tommy Quick is riding with a cause Warrnambool Standard

Tommy Quick is proof you can't keep a good man down.

At the tender age of 12 he suffered a stroke that changed his life.

But the now 27-year-old is trying to change the lives of others for the better despite his own personal challenges.

He woke one morning with a dull headache and told his parents. Five weeks later he woke up in the Royal Children's Hospital.

"I tried to speak, no words came out," he said.

"The words were forming in my mind but nothing came out. I couldn't hear them. This led me to having a panic attack. I was completely lost." The stroke impacted Tommy's right side and he battles to walk.

But instead of having a beachside holiday in Port Fairy like so many others at this time of the year, Tommy is using the south-west to prepare for an epic ride on a recumbent bike around Australia.

He's using Port Fairy as his training base ahead of a 9000 kilometre journey around Australia to promote social inclusion and increase young stroke awareness while raising money to help stroke survivors and improve their services.

"I've spent a lot of time...

Continue reading...

 

​

Stroke survivor prepares for epic adventure Mirage News

A Melbourne man, who suffered a life-changing stroke at the age of 12, will set off on an ambitious and potentially record-breaking physical challenge on Monday (August 2).

Tommy Quick plans to ride a three-wheel bicycle, known as a recumbent trike, more than 9,000 kilometres to the four furthest points of Australia.

The start date coincides with Tommy’s 28th birthday and the beginning of National Stroke Week, the Stroke Foundation’s key stroke awareness campaign.

Tommy is excited about his impending adventure and said he is looking forward to chatting to locals along the way about stroke.

“I want people to know that stroke can happen at any age, but it does not mean your life is over,” Tommy said.

“After spending five weeks in a coma, I learnt to talk and walk again against the odds. I have always set myself goals in my recovery, but this ride is by far the biggest.”

“It’s an enormous test mentally and physically, but I’m determined to give it my best shot. You’ve only got one life so why not aim high.”

Continue reading...

For more on Tommy’s journey or to Donate visit www.the4points.org

 

​

Tommy Quick's had a stroke, but it won't stop him from pedaling around Australia ABC News

Tommy Quick was 12 when he experienced an intense headache. Five weeks and two days later he woke up from an induced coma, dazed and confused.

"I tried to speak but no words came out. I tried to move, I couldn't move. That just led to an instant panic attack," Mr Quick said.

"I thought I was in a video game to be honest."​

Mr Quick had experienced a stroke, which can lead to muscle weakness, paralysis and stiffness — usually on one side of the body.

The 28-year-old has had a long road to recovery.

"I had to learn to do everything, from walking to talking to swallowing, even lifting my head up was a challenge," he said.

Mr Quick went on to set challenges and goals for himself. Hiking the Kokoda Track in 2014 was his first big achievement, and now he's set another goal to cycle 9,000 kilometres on his recumbent trike across Australia.

Cycling through a pandemic
The Victorian man hoped to begin his journey from Steep Point in Western Australia on Monday, August 2, the beginning of National Stroke Week.

He was instead grounded on his way over there, having to stay in Cowell, South Australia during the state's recent seven-day lockdown.

​

Continue reading...

 

​

Stroke survivor on an epic adventure Port Lincoln Times

A Melbourne man who suffered a life-changing stroke at the age of 12 has been travelling through Eyre Peninsula as part of an ambitious physical challenge.

Tommy Quick is riding a three-wheel bicycle, known as a recumbent trike, on a 9000-kilometre journey to the four furthest points of Australia.

The 28-year-old was set to begin his ride in Western Australia, but tweaked his plans due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Instead, he set off from Border Village on August 6 and is currently travelling through Eyre Peninsula.


After nine days of riding he made it to Ceduna, where he stopped for a few days to rest and pick up supplies for the next leg, through to Cowell.

He said it had been a hard, but enjoyable first few days.

"It has been hard, I kept riding for nine days straight which was a shock to the system - I hadn't been training for two weeks beforehand because of lockdown and travel," Mr Quick said.

He said he had received a warm and welcome response from locals along the way, as well as honks and waves of support from vehicles on the road.

"People have been really interested in what I am doing and have also been openly sharing stories about how stroke has impacted them or their families," Mr Quick said.

"It's good to get people talking and thinking about stroke. I want them to know it can happen at any age, but it does not mean your life is over."

After riding through South Australia he will travel through Victoria to the southern-most point of mainland Australia, at Wilsons Promontory, before heading up through the eastern states and to Cape York.

Following that he will go to Western Australia to finish the journey.

After his stroke, Mr Quick spent five weeks in a coma and had to learn to talk and walk again.

"I have always ...

Continue reading...

 

Tom's father Clive Quick and mother Rena Fisken support their son's ambition.
​

Stroke survivors epic challenge hits WA Mirage News

A Melbourne man, who suffered a life-changing stroke at the age of 12, will soon begin the WA leg of an ambitious and potentially record-breaking physical challenge.

Tommy Quick, 28, is riding a three-wheel bicycle, known as a recumbent trike, on a 9000 kilometre journey to the four furthest points of Australia.

Tommy set off from Border Village in South Australia at the start of August and travelled to Port Lincoln. He will pass through Esperance, Busselton, Perth and Geraldton before resuming his ride at Steep Point, the western most point of mainland Australia.

Tommy said he has received a warm and welcome response from locals during his pit stops so far, along with honks and waves of support from vehicles along the road.

“People have been really interested in what I am doing and have also been openly sharing stories about how stroke has impacted them or their families,” Tommy said.

“It’s good to get people talking and thinking about stroke. I want them to know it can happen at any age, but it does not mean your life is over.”

After Tommy’s stroke, he spent five weeks in a coma and then learnt to talk and walk again against the odds.

“I have always set myself goals in my recovery, but this ride is by far the biggest,” Tommy said.

“It’s an enormous test mentally and physically, but I’m determined to give it my best shot. You’ve only got one life so why not aim high.”

As well as ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Childhood stroke sufferer riding 9000km to raise research funds The West Australian

Stroke is something we typically associate with older people, but the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute says up to 600 Australian children suffer one every year.

In 2006, Tommy Quick was one of those children. Now aged 28, he’s cycling 9000km to raise money for the Stroke Foundation, and to prove that stroke survivors can live life to the fullest. “It’s good to get people talking and thinking about stroke. I want them to know it can happen at any age, but it does not mean your life is over,” he said.

Starting in Border Village, South Australia, his trip will take him to the furthest points north, east, south and west on the mainland. Earlier this week he reached his first goal, Steep Point, 374km by bike north of Kalbarri.

“It’s an enormous test mentally and physically, but I’m determined to give it my best shot. You’ve only got one life, so why not aim high,” he said.

The Victorian was only 12 when he suffered a severe stroke. Initially he thought he had a migraine and asked his mum for some aspirin.

He woke up five weeks later in hospital, having been in an induced coma.

From there, he had to learn how to eat, talk and walk again.

Sixteen years later ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Stroke survivor hit by car on charity bike ride 9News

A stroke survivor who was struck by a car in South Australia while on a charity trike ride, has vowed to get back on the road again.

Posting to Facebook from Adelaide Hospital, Mr Quick today confirmed he shattered his pelvis in the accident.

"I'm feeling alright but unfortunately I had a car accident, or car - trike accident," he said from a hospital bed.

Tommy Quick, originally from Melbourne, was struck by a car near Greenock in the Barossa Valley yesterday, as he attempted to cycle between the four furthest points of Australia.

​

"I shattered my pelvis, going to surgery.

"Long road of recovery. I'm going to get back on that trike."
The 28-year-old said his three-wheeled bicycle - known as a recumbent trike - had been destroyed in the crash.

Mr Quick had cycled an impressive 3500 kilometres through Western Australia and South Australia on the trike.

His parents could only watch in horror as the car swerved across the road — and into their son.

"This car just screamed across in front of us," Rena Fisken, Mr Quick's mother, said.

"There's smoke and you knew it wasn't going to miss Tom".

He was raising awareness for stroke, which he said kills more people ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Stroke survivor Tommy Quick left with broken bones after being hit by car during charity ride ABC News

A stroke survivor who was cycling across Australia on a recumbent trike to raise money for stroke support services has been hit by a car, leaving him with a shattered pelvis and a broken leg.

Tommy Quick was part way through a 9,000-kilometre ride when he was hit by a car in South Australia's Barossa Valley region on Wednesday.

Mr Quick has posted an Instagram video from an Adelaide hospital bed, saying he was "feeling alright" despite the accident.

Aiming to cycle around mainland Australia's "most extreme" westerly, southerly, easterly and northerly points, Mr Quick set off from Steep Point in WA earlier this year.

Mr Quick wanted the "4 points Australia" ride to raise funds as well as awareness about young survivors of strokes.

He was about 10 kilometres from the South Australian town of Nuriootpa when the crash happened.

"One minute I was riding and then I got hit by a car and the next thing I remember was me screaming in pain … lying on the side of the road," Mr Quick told the ABC.

As well as a shattered pelvis, Mr Quick has also broken the femur in his right leg.

Mr Quick said while it was a significant setback, he would not be giving up.

"Putting it bluntly, it's pretty ****, but it's just another hurdle in the road I've got to cross," he said.

"There might need to be a few modifications or improvements, I've got to get a new trike.

"I'm trying to take the positive signs out of it. Even if we have to do it in segments, we will get there."

Mr Quick was just 12 years old when he suffered from a stroke.

Since then, he has set himself several challenges, including this latest ride across Australia.

His father ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Tommy's ride to reach Euroa Alpine Observer / Myrtleford Times

AS part of his inspiring journey to reach the four furthest parts of the country, stroke survivor Tommy Quick will be stopping in Euroa later this month.

Mr Quick's journey is an incredible story of overcoming adversity.

After suffering a stroke at just 12 years old, he has continually persevered to achieve sensational accomplishments.

Beyond relearning how to walk, talk and eat again after his stroke, Mr Quick walked the Kokoda Trail in 2014 and more recently set himself the challenge of reaching the four furthest points of Australia on a recumbent trike.

This trip, beginning in 2021, is a 9000km trip to raise funds for stroke support services and raise awareness about strokes in young people.

While part–way through his most recent adventure in November 2021, Mr Quick was struck by a vehicle in South Australia's Barossa Valley, leaving him with multiple broken bones and causing the trip to be postponed while he recovered.

It should be no surprise that Mr Quick responded to the accident in his typical fashion, bouncing back and setting a 2023 return date to continue his "4–points" adventure.

He is now about to get back on his trike and ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Wheels in motion for stroke survivor's mammoth mission Stroke Foundation

A young survivor of stroke is hitting the road resuming his mammoth mission to be the first in Australia to ride a recumbent trike to the four most extreme points of the mainland.

Over the next few months, 29-year-old Tommy Quick will complete a 9,000 kilometre cycle, as far North as Cape York, east to Byron Bay, south to Wilson’s Promontory and far west to Steep Point, with the aim of raising $1 million for the Stroke Foundation, and to spread awareness of the impact of stroke in young people.

“I’m passionate about social inclusion and I plan on breaking down some common misconceptions about disability. I want people to know that stroke can happen to anyone, at any time. I plan on stopping along the way and speaking with anyone who will listen.”

Tommy had a life-changing stroke at the age of 12 which has impacted him physically and affected his communication, but it hasn’t stopped him from achieving great things or overcoming major challenges.

In November last year, while Tommy was 3,638 kilometres into his ride, he was hit by a car in South Australia.

“My injuries were severe, and the recovery hasn’t been easy. Broken bones hurt like hell, but unlike the brain they are faster to heal,” Tommy said. “My parents saw the whole crash unfold, Mum actually thought I was dead, it was very confronting for them.”

After more than a year out of the saddle, and months of gruelling rehab to repair a shattered pelvis, displaced sacrum and broken leg, Tommy is getting back on the recumbent trike and resuming his epic pedalling challenge this Friday with the support of NDIS Minister Bill Shorten’s office and Stroke Foundation.

“It’s been a tough year for me, both mentally and physically, however I’m back better and more determined than ever to get somewhere.”

Stroke Foundation Executive Director, Marketing, Mr John De Rango, has applauded Tommy’s resilience. “Tommy’s determination and perseverance is to be commended. He has overcome huge challenges in his life but it hasn’t stopped him from making big achievements.” Mr De Rango says.

Tommy’s challenge will go ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Stroke survivor's mammoth fundraising mission passes through ... Shepparton News

More than a year after his mission was derailed by a horrific accident, Tommy Quick has hit the road again, travelling through Benalla on Wednesday, March 29.

A young survivor of stroke, Tommy is aiming is to be the first in Australia to ride a recumbent trike to the four most extreme points of the mainland.

The 9000 km ride will go as far north as Cape York, east to Byron Bay, south to Wilson’s Promontory and far west to Steep Point.

Tommy, 29, had a life-changing stroke at the age of 12 which has impacted him physically and affected his communication, but it hasn’t stopped him from achieving great things.

He said he aims to raise $1 million for the Stroke Foundation.

“I’m passionate about social inclusion and I plan on breaking down some common misconceptions about disability,” he said.

“I want people to know that stroke can happen to anyone, at any time. I plan on stopping along the way and speaking with anyone who will listen.”

In November 2021, when Tommy was 3638km into his ride, he was hit by a car in South Australia.

“My injuries were severe and the recovery hasn’t been easy. Broken bones hurt like hell, but unlike the brain, they are faster to heal,” Tommy said.

“My parents saw the whole crash unfold. Mum actually thought I was dead. It was very confronting for them.”

After more than a year out of the saddle, and months of gruelling rehab to repair a shattered pelvis, displaced sacrum and broken leg, Tommy is getting back on the recumbent trike and resuming his epic pedalling challenge.

“It’s been a tough year ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Tommy Quick will be in Gunnedah on Saturday as part of his ride for ... The Northern Daily Leader

Tommy Quick is a young man on a mission to raise $1 million for the Stroke Foundation.

After overnighting in Mullaley, Tommy and his support crew will stay in Gunnedah on Saturday and Sunday night, as he undertakes a 9000 kilometre cycle to spread awareness about the impact of stroke on young people.

The 29-year-old suffered a stroke at the age of 12, and it changed his life forever.


It impacted him physically and affected his communication, but he said it hasn't stopped him from achieving great things, or overcoming major challenges.

"I think it's the mentality. If you want to do something just do it. You've got to set your mind to it first and then worry about the pain and the struggles," he told the Leader on Friday.

Tommy wants to be the first person in Australia to ride a recumbent trike to the four most extreme points of the mainland, from Cape York in the far north ...

Continue reading...

 

​

Tommy quick's 4 points of Australia stroke fundraiser comes to Lismore Lismore City News

Tommy Quick is pretty inspirational - despite some quite significant challenges thrown his way, he still finds the strength to help other people, and to ride 9000km around Australia.

At just 12-years-old, Tommy had a life-changing stroke, which has impacted him physically and affected his communication. It hasn't stopped him though, from striving to achieve great things, like becoming the to be the first person in Australia to ride a recumbent trike to the four most extreme points of Australia's mainland.

Over the next few months, Tommy, 29, will ride as far north as Cape York, east to Byron Bay, south to Wilson's Promontory and far west to Steep Point, with the aim of raising $1 million for the Stroke Foundation, and to spread awareness of the impact of stroke in young people.

"I'm passionate about social inclusion and I plan on breaking down some common misconceptions about disability. I want people to know that stroke can happen to anyone, at any time."

In November last year, while Tommy was 3638km into his ride, he was hit by a car in South Australia.

Continue reading...

 

​

Quick's taking it steady on epic trip - Central Queensland Today CQ Today

After lunch at the Inner Bean and a massage at The Hub, Tommy was having a quiet afternoon in the Emerald Tourist Park before heading off on the Clermont leg of his 9000km Odyssey around Australia in his trusty recumbent trike.

The inspirational 29-year-old, who suffered a life-changing stroke at age 12, wants to raise $1 million and be the first adventurer in Australia to ride a trike to the four most extreme points of Australia’s mainland – north to Cape York, east to Byron Bay, south to Wilson’s Promontory and far west to Steep Point.

It’s a journey he’s using to raise awareness about the impacts of stroke in young people and to preach his message of social inclusion.

Staying in the park for a few days, Tommy came across a traveller, a former truck driver who was 38 when he had his stroke.

“I have probably met more stroke survivors on social media, in groups and in one-on-ones,” he said.

“But I had a conversation with this guy here who said he was 38 at the time, so it shows it’s not just an old person’s disease.”

When he’s on the road, averaging around 15km an hour, Tommy listens to death metal, Japanese punk or science and sports podcasts.

He said most motorists were respectful, with the worst being those from his home state of Victoria.

“They’re just very impatient,” he said.

He did have a moment travelling from Theodore to Emerald when a car towing a caravan overtook him with another car bearing down in the opposite direction, but that was nothing compared to ...

Continue reading...