It’s strangely specific to be riding exactly 666 kilometres.
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But that’s what local Zach McGrath is doing during October, choosing the number historically connected to the devil — because he wants to finally get it “off my shoulder”.
McGrath doesn’t shy away from his personal struggles. The devil in this case is depression.
Tragedy struck when he lost his brother to suicide; the pain still felt today.
“I’ve lived with depression since my brother’s passing,” McGrath said.
“Call it the black dog, the fog, depression, it’s been with me.
“Over the last three years I’ve gone back to Fiji where I grew up.
“It really helped with many things that I’ve tried to I guess better myself with psychologically over the years.
“And COVID just set that depression down a little bit of a deeper path.”
In the COVID-affected 2020, when exercise hours were often limited, McGrath took on the Great Cycle Challenge for the first time.
A whopping 305km later he had raised $1710.
But the money was not for depression — he raises it for cancer, which he correctly describes as “one of the worst diseases known to mankind”.
It’s the reason McGrath never knew his grandfather Doug.
“He died of lung cancer just after I was born, so I never got to meet him,” he said.
“But I've also known several people who have had cancer in their lives, which is the worst thing anyone can live with, particularly kids.
“As a pre-service teacher, tennis coach and educator, basically half of my life has revolved around kids, and a healthy kid is a happy kid.”
This is a busy man, who also owns a dreadlocks salon in town.
But anybody needing some dreads maintenance this month will have to wait.
McGrath’s occupied doing the Great Cycle Challenge again — his third time, where the fundraising goal is $1000.
Only a week into October, $683 has been raised — at least at the time of writing.
The purpose of the endeavour is to help kick cancer’s butt, and by passing $500, McGrath now rides around with a jersey reading exactly that: Let’s kick cancer’s butt.
So he’s already over halfway towards the goal, but there’s another target too.
“I was joking around with my partner and my mum and said, ‘Maybe if I raise $5000 I'll shave off my dreadlocks,’ and my mum, being more realistic, suggested taking it down a little bit,” McGrath said.
“So I heeded her advice as all good sons should and decided to make the goal $1500 to shave off my dreadlocks.”
McGrath also lowered the target as a concession to cost-of-living struggles.
But he’d also love nothing more than to surpass 2021’s tally — an incredible $3647.
Then there’s the actual exercise.
McGrath’s riding distance this year is way above 2020 and 2021, and right now, he’s just over 76km into the 666.
The plan is 22km a day, mostly done on the Echuca Scenic Trail.
But he also mentioned treks in Castlemaine, Bendigo and Cohuna.
McGrath must love his cycling to have the will to ride around this much.
That’s probably true, along with another personal reason why he does it.
“I have cerebral palsy from the waist down,” McGrath said.
“Cycling is a great low-impact exercise for my knees in particular, but even my legs, just to stretch and lengthen the muscles out.”
The first time McGrath tried fundraising, it was for cerebral palsy.
It was then where he realised how generous communities can be, and he’s always tried to support a cause in some way since.
The region got behind McGrath in a big way in 2021, beyond just Echuca-Moama.
He had only been able to spread the word slowly by himself, until an article in The Riv amplified support, so much so the money raised was double the previous year.
And now you can support him again.
You might see McGrath zooming around on his two-wheeler.
You might be able to stop him and have a conversation.
If you do, ask how you can donate, or do it right now by visiting tinyurl.com/59xpr867