Months of planning and thousands of kilometres of training are about to pay off as a group of 12 mid-Canterbury blokes prepare to journey the length of New Zealand for charity.
Calling themselves the Rescue Warriors, the team is taking on the challenge to raise funds for Mission 2026, a Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust campaign focused on transforming the rescue helicopter service.
The ride gets underway on February 10, with the group split into two teams starting at opposite ends of the country.
Team Muscle, made up of four riders on traditional push bikes, will roll out from Bluff, while Team Live, seven riders on electric bikes, will begin their journey in Cape Reinga.
Wherever they ride, the Rescue Warriors are hard to miss.
Dressed in their bright yellow and red riding tops, they have become a familiar and welcome sight around mid-Canterbury during months of training rides.
Not every Rescue Warrior will be in the saddle.
Graham Thomas, who has twice been rescued by the helicopter service himself, will take on the role of “chief supporter” after doctors discovered he required major heart surgery.
Founding Rescue Warrior Bruce Kell said reaching the start line had already been an adventure.
“It’s been a hell of a ride just getting to this point,” he said.
“Now we’re all itching to get started and turn the pedals.”
The Rescue Warriors began as a simple idea after Kell’s wife gave him a coffee table book about the inaugural 2016 Tour Aotearoa Brevet.
Kell looked at it and thought, “I’ll do that”.
A casual mention at a Hinds and Districts Lions Club meeting soon turned into something much bigger.
Kell returned home with three names, David Keeley, Warren Harris and Willy Leferink, and the Rescue Warriors were born.
In 2022, the group rode the Tour Aotearoa Brevet and raised $100,000 for the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
Four years later, the team has tripled in size, with riders committing to a demanding 3000km journey this year.
“All of the Rescue Warriors have either been picked up by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter or know someone who has; it’s a vital link for our rural community,” Kell said.
“Mission 2026 will transform the service so it can save more lives, more often, for generations to come.
“We’re proud to be doing our bit to help make that happen.”
At 74, David Pedersen is the oldest Rescue Warrior and a member of Team Live.
He started cycling three years ago after a suggestion from his physiotherapist.
Pedersen admits he is feeling a few nerves.
“I just hope the team isn’t too grizzly if I slow them down,” he said.
Despite that, he says the team makes it all worthwhile.
“There’s amazing camaraderie between the Rescue Warrior crew and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter is a brilliant cause.
“It’ll be a great adventure, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust chief executive Christine Prince said the Rescue Warriors were an inspiration to the wider community.
“To have this group of rural blokes take on such a mammoth challenge for the rescue helicopter service is truly humbling.
“Since launching this ride, they have built momentum for Mission 2026 across mid-Canterbury, raising not only an incredible amount of money but also bringing awareness to this life-saving service.
“We will be watching the Rescue Warriors ride every step of the way – we can’t thank them enough for taking on this challenge for our cause.”
Mission 2026 centres on the purchase of replacement H145 helicopters to modernise the rescue helicopter fleet.
Three state-of-the-art H145 helicopters have already been purchased for the Canterbury West Coast region.
The first entered service in December 2025, with two more currently being commissioned.
“Seeing our first H145 take flight is incredible – but there’s more work to do,” Prince said.
“We need to raise a further $600,000 to get the remaining helicopters commissioned and fully operational. The Rescue Warriors are helping us make that happen.
“Please support them, watch them when they go through your area and give them a wave or donate to them online.”