'Papa was an absolute legend' – charity cyclist dies one day after riding across Australia
82-year-old Bob Montgomery and his grandson Tom had just completed a 5,200km ride raising funds for a Motor Neurone Disease charity
Last weekend, 82-year-old Bob Montgomery was celebrating the successful conclusion of his latest challenge: a 5,290-kilometre road-cycling expedition right across Australia, accompanied by his 18-year-old grandson Tom Malcolm.
The intrepid pair had just spent 41 days pedalling through some of the harshest conditions on the planet, averaging 160km a day while riding from Broome on the northwest coast of Western Australia, to Bowral in New South Wales, raising money for a charity that provides assistance to people living with motor neurone disease, a condition suffered by one of Montgomery's cousins.
Then, earlier this week, the family shared the sad news that their beloved Papa had passed away, explaining on social media that he had died unexpectedly the day after finishing the ride.
“Fittingly, and now poignantly, the ride was named One Last Ride,” said the post. “At 82 years of age, Bob was still passionately sharing his message only hours before his passing.”
This latest journey across Australia was Montgomery’s sixth long-distance charity bike ride across large sections of the country, and his fifth in support of MND NSW, raising money and awareness for "a cause that was deeply personal to him,” as the family explained. During this last ride alone, Montgomery raised AU$104,965 in donations, and the fundraising page remains open for those who would like to contribute.
Previously adventures included a 3,000km ride from the Three Sisters in Katoomba to Port Douglas in Tropical Far North Queensland, a 3,900km cycle from Perth to the Blue Mountains near Sydney, a 4,200km epic from Darwin to Perth and another 2,900km pedal-powered journey from Darwin to Port Douglas. He had also done an earlier 1121km ride with grandson Tom, then aged just 12, cycling from Sydney to Melbourne in 2019, rising $30,000 for a charity that supports people with Huntington’s Disease.
While deeply saddened by their loss, the family would like Montgomery to be remembered for his extraordinary achievements. “Papa was an absolute legend and his story was definitely one of a kind,” his granddaughter Camille told us. “He loved everything cycling, and nutrition,” she continued, explaining how he would collect copies of Cycling Weekly. “[He] always loved showing them us all.”
Bob Montgomery and his 18-year-old grandson Tom Malcolm during the ride
A lifelong sportsman and cyclist, Montgomery was riding a Trek road bike during his challenge. "For those who are thinking about the bike, it’s not electric," he wrote on his website just before setting off. "It will be all pedal power.”
"My wife Jenny named the ride, ‘ONE LAST RIDE’, so I am taking the hint and calling it my last distance ride for charity,” he continued. “That makes it even more important that I reach my target to raise $500,000 in donations or sponsorship for research into Motor Neurone Disease.
“I will be riding for all of those people affected by this disease, THOSE WHO NO LONGER CAN. I have seen family and friends suffer. It’s heart breaking. I can’t do anything medically to help people suffering with MND, but I can help by raising much needed money for research and support sufferers of this disease."
MND NSW shared a tribute describing Montgomery as a “cherished friend and tireless supporter of MND NSW”, and saying the charity was “deeply saddened” by his sudden passing. “For many years, Bob dedicated himself to raising vital funds and awareness for people living with motor neurone disease,” the group’s CEO, Liam O’Meara, said in a statement.
Bob Montgomery, 5 January 1944 – 3 August 2026
