Ep 111: The Big Wheel _ Sam Longmore

Many of you will remember Sam Longmore as the woman who refused to let a life-changing accident define her. After being left paralysed down one side, she rebuilt her life with remarkable grit and determination, going on to break world water-skiing records and receive the prestigious Shine Award. 

Now, she's taking on another massive challenge.

The Big Wheel was born from Sam's desire to make a real difference for mental health in rural communities — a cause deeply personal to her and one that affects so many people across regional Australia.

In an incredible feat of endurance, Sam will wheel herself 441 kilometres from Corowa to Yass, New South Wales, in just eight days. And remember, she'll be doing it using just one arm.

In this episode, we catch up with Sam as she prepares for the challenge, hear about the intense training that's included a lap of Mount Panorama, meeting one of her inspirations, Nedd Brockman, and the team helping bring this ambitious fundraiser to life.

Sam is the first to say that The Big Wheel is a team effort — and she's absolutely right. But she's still the one pushing that chair, kilometre after kilometre, in the hope of raising awareness and much-needed funds for mental health in rural communities.

If you haven't already, make sure you go back and listen to Episode 76 to hear Sam Longmore's extraordinary story.

If you'd like to support Sam and this incredible initiative, simply Google "MyCause – The Big Wheel" and consider making a donation.

Get ready to be inspired all over again as we catch up with the unstoppable Sam Longmore.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome to Told of the Earth Farm Story.

SPEAKER_01 0:08

I'm a big fan of Ned Brockman, have been for a very long time, and I thought, you know, oh well, if this boat can run 4,000 kilometres across Australia, then I can wheel 400 kilometres through the riverina, why not? And that just boom, the big wheel was born.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Well, if you thought Stan Longmore had already done enough to show what's possible, think again. Many of you will remember Stam from episode 76, where she shared her remarkable story of determination after a horrific accident, leaving her paralyzed down one side.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

I had two car accidents on the same stretch of road in two different states in a matter of 45 minutes.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Since then, she's continued to tackle challenge after challenge, proving that determination can take you a very long way. Now, she's taking on another extraordinary challenge, the big wheel. The big wheel was born from a desire to make a difference for mental health in rural communities. A cause that sits very close to Sam's heart. In an incredible effort, she'll wheel herself 441 kilometres from Corroa to Yast in New South Wales in over just eight days. And remember, she's doing it with the use of just one arm. This is incredible. Along the way, she's been training hard, even wheeling around Mount Panorama and meeting one of her inspirations, Ned Brockman. This is the same Sam Longmore who has won the Schein Award, broken world waterskiing records, and overcome more setbacks than most of us could imagine. I tell you it's a team effort. It absolutely is. But she's the one pushing that chair for 441 kilometres. Before we get started, if you'd like to support Sam and this incredible initiative for mental health in rural communities, simply Google My Cause the Big Wheel. Any support or donation would be hugely appreciated. Now, let's catch up with Sam Longmore.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

We've got a made out in the country.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Good. Well, first up, Sammy, are you a little bit crazy?

SPEAKER_01 2:35

I've been told that a fair bit over the last couple of months, but I don't think I am. I think I'm passionate.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Passionate?

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Passionate.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Determined.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Yeah, that too.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Motivated.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Well, we're going to learn a bit more about that. Something I learned from you during our last episode is that when we see someone in a wheelchair, we often ask them how they're going physically or can we do anything to help. But we don't stop to ask how you are. How are you, Sam?

SPEAKER_01 3:01

I'm actually pretty good. I'm really good. And that's honest, honestly, how I'm feeling at the moment. I'm nervous. But other than that, I'm happy.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

Right. Thanks. Now why are you nervous? You've got a big event coming up.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Oh, I do have a big event. And um, the funny thing is, is no one's making me do it. It's on me. Which is mad. Yeah, I'm doing a big wheel through the Riverina into Yas, uh, 441 Ks over eight days in my everyday wheelchair for rural mental health.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

This is enormous.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Yeah, it will be. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

So from Coroa to Yas, 400 and something cometres. Four to one 41, yeah. In how long? Eight days. So this is averaging over 50 kilometers a day.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

Yeah, 50 to 60 Ks a day. The first few days will be okay because it'd be flat river country, and then the last four or five will be uh constantly uphill.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

I was actually thinking that.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

Are you training for uphills?

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Oh yeah, as much as you can. Trying to train as much as I can in general, but I think um, as I've said to everyone over the last couple of months, I think I can't train for everything that will come up, but my mind will get my body to where it needs to be, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

So why this challenge?

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Why not? I guess this is a simple answer. It was kind of random. It was a random day, might have been a Tuesday or Wednesday, beginning of November. And I thought, you know what, I'm gonna do in 2026. It's my off-world year for water skiing. I needed a or wanted a physical sort of challenge for myself, and I was like, oh, maybe I'll go on, you know, wheel a marathon or something like that, or you know, um booked in to go skydiving, so maybe that will be it. But um I wanted something more for myself, something that I can yeah, kind of work on and train for. And then I just sort of thought, oh well, maybe I'll do it for someone else or something else. I've had a lot of help over the years. I'm a big fan of Ned Brockman, have been for a very long time, and I thought, you know, oh well, if this boat can run 4,000 kilometres across Australia, then I can wheel 400 kilometres through the riverina, why not? And that just boom, the big wheel was born.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

The big wheel push for purpose, you've called it. Yep. And this is this is more than a marathon every day. Yes, as you said.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Yes. Thanks for reminding me.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Did anyone else tell you you were mad?

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Yeah, literally everywhere I go, every single day for the last couple of months, and you know, initially I kind of laughed it off, and then it actually started to annoy me. Like, yeah, it might sound a little bit crazy, but if you've got the ability to help someone in some way, shape, or form, then you may as well, you know, and then I guess the other side of that is people don't see people with disabilities doing big things, you know, big physical challenges. And I've been calling it the byproduct, and it's not the byproduct, but we'll stick with that phrase for the moment. The byproduct of what I'm doing for rural mental health is also showing people that no matter a situation, any situation that you find yourself in, you can achieve or or do hard things too. And I want to show the big wide world that as well, not just people with physical disabilities, that we as human beings with disabilities are huge assets to the community. So that's kind of the byproduct of it. And you know, I feel like yeah, I might be a little bit mad, but the best of us are, isn't that the phrase or something?

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Yeah, yeah. So the money that will be raised through this will go to rural mental health? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Yeah, two charities in particular. So I wanted sort of a bigger charity, an Australian-wide charity, so I've picked rural aid for that, and then Riverina Bluebell, uh, which is based out of Wagga. And it's not just about farmers, you know, this isn't just about farmers, this is about small communities, you know, rural aid don't just help farmers, they help small communities. You know, you look at Ugara, for example, that was flooded there a few years ago, and you know, the whole of the township was wiped out. Rural aid were there helping on the ground and helping with infrastructure, and they help with fences and fires and droughts and this and that, but they also have a huge sector of mental health and helping with people's mental health in the community after the fact. Because you see all of the, you know, everything on the media about the floods and fires and droughts, and you name it, you see that, you see all of that firsthand. But what you don't see is the people that stick around and the people that hurt for a very long time, years and years after something like that. That's why I've picked rural aid. And Riverina Bluebell, they're like smaller, they're community-based, they're helping with like sporting groups and you know, men's sheds and just general community. And everyone hurting, starting conversations because that's what we lack. You know, there's still such a stigma, even though we talk about it so much. People do too much talking and not enough doing. Yeah. And and I thought, you know, let's help them too. Yeah. And and then in the grand scheme of things, let's try and help everyone.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

That's if I could, I would. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

And Sam, we all want to get behind you.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

How can we donate? So I have a My Cause link. So My Cause is kind of like GoFundMe, but it's Australian-owned. So all the funds stay in Australia. So if you go onto my cause on Google, you'll see, or you can type in the big wheel, and my thing will come up. You can see that Rural Aid and Riverina Bluebell are linked, so you can know that it is legit. Otherwise, yeah, sort of doing a couple of raffles, some auction items, you know, give me a pat on the back or a cuddle along the way, or come for a wheel if you want to, or a jog or a walk or something.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Well, I'm gonna come for a run with you. Yeah, cool, thanks. And we might even do another little episode on the on the road. Yeah, that'll be good. But we'll come back to that website again at the end. But um, being really honest, are you scared, shitless?

SPEAKER_01 9:11

I am actually. The closer that I get, like, I'm getting kind of more and more nervous, and it's not for the doing of the thing, it's more in regards to like I want to make sure that I'm representing the cause to the best of my ability. Like, not that I don't think I'll finish this, not that I'll, you know, have challenges throughout that week, but that I'm yeah, representing rural mental health for what it actually is and not making a mockery of it or anything like that. That's what I'm nervous for, that I'll say the wrong thing because I do from time to time, and that I do it justice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

I think you already are.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Yeah, that yeah, I just I know what I'm like. Yeah, yeah. So I just hope that you know this ends up being everything that I intend it to be.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

What about the hardest thing physically?

SPEAKER_01 10:08

Oh, look, it is a continuous wheeling, you know. I've got to do 50 to 60 Ks a day, but also still navigate life of an evening. I'm doing 100% of this work with only 50% of my body, which I do every single day, add 50 to 60 Ks of that. Um, and people think going downhill is a breeze, but it's a complete opposite, it's almost just as hard as going uphill.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

Is that right?

SPEAKER_01 10:31

Yeah, well, I'm mentally scanning the road for little rocks and cracks and crevices so I don't get spat out of my chair. And if I go too fast, I get a shop and trolley wheel. So I've got to slow it down, I've got to keep the chair going where I need it to go, not off into a table drain or something.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But but on flat ground, how many kilometers would you do in an hour?

SPEAKER_01 10:52

I'm comfortably doing about 10Ks. And I know that makes it sound like a piece of piss that I can do, like, you know, I've only got to do that six times in a day, right? That's six hours, but no.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

No, I know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I don't know exactly, but I'm thinking running-wise. I'm actually worried now whether I'll be able to keep up.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

Yeah, so I think I've got my 15Ks down to an about an hour and a half, hour of 33, 35, something like that. But that's going, like, and that's what I struggle with a lot with my training was that I was trying to keep up with runners that you see on Strava or social media or other runners around the river or something like that, and really comparing myself to them and their speed and their K's, and and I was burning myself out every training session. And once I've made that mindset change, I've I've been enjoying the training more. I've been still getting good times in, but I'll never be trained enough to be able to do this, I don't think.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

But you're doing 20 or 30 kilometres a day, yeah, yeah, and building up.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

So I'm sort of in a bit of a build-up phase at the moment. I'll do a 50-60k day over the next couple of weeks, just a bit of a run through of what a potential day will look like. So I'll have someone on hand to you know, pit crew, and then in the last sort of 10 days, I'll taper off and I'll just do sort of a few tens, maybe 15 here, and then sort of 5k, just keeping moving, keeping that muscle memory up. And I don't know what I'm doing. I've just got a few hot tips from a from a few lovely people.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

How's the arm and the shoulder?

SPEAKER_01 12:21

Um, pretty good, but I'm gonna look like I do, you know, I run hand jobs for a living. Um it's already it's already light that I'll put in. Um, I put a new shirt on the other day with a really nice sort of cuff, and I was like, this is not really nice. And I just stuck my arm in it and I was like, T-Rex. Anyway, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Um now you had a training run around Mount Panorama. How was that?

SPEAKER_01 12:45

Yeah, that was really cool. That was, you know, I won't say a dream come true because that's a little bit far-fetched, but it was exactly what I needed to make me feel like this is a legitimate thing. Like I was kind of not feeling like a phony, but maybe not feeling like I was being taken seriously enough. And yeah, I did a I did a call out on social media for a few different reasons. You know, I like Ned and I'm um Ned Brockman. Yeah, Ned Brockman. I'm very inspired by him, not so much about his running because you know that's just something that he does, but uh about the person that I assume him to be. You know, I don't know him hugely personally, but I'm very inspired by him and his heart and his soul and his brain. So I did a call out on socials and just to see whether he'd come for a bit of a run with me throughout the big wheel and to get a few eyes on. That was part of my goal, you know, get eyes on what I'm doing. And he obviously saw legitimacy in that, reached out to me, um, donated to it as well. He won't be here throughout the wheel. And then a few days later, um, his management reached out to me and invited me into Mount Panorama because he was doing a run with the Combank Tour. And I was like, holy shit, yes, yes, I can be there at 6:30 in the morning. And it was just hectic, you know. I was really nervous because I'm like, are they testing me? Like, is this a test? But because they kept on saying to me, and maybe I'm reading too much into it, but they kept on saying, Oh, you don't have to do the whole, the whole lap if you don't want to, you know, you don't. I was like, why the hell would I only go halfway up Mount Panorama? If I'm halfway up there, I may as well go the rest of the way. But it was amazing. But um, Mount Panorama is steeper than you think it is, you know, 175 meters elevation, and it just kept on going and going and going. The poor um I didn't know it was that high. Yeah, it's insane. Yeah, and it just keeps on getting steeper. And you think the cars are going around there, flat stick, you know, 200 plus K's an hour. It's insane. And then I had to go down, yeah, which was hard.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

And was Ned beside you?

SPEAKER_01 14:46

No, no, no. I had my time with Ned in the morning before everyone else kind of rocked up who was also doing the run. Like I wouldn't expect him to. There was, you know, he needed to spread his love. So I stayed behind the pack. So I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep up with anyone myself. Yeah, and it was really awesome to go across that checkered line on the ground, you know, that I've just done this. I did, what was it, six and a half K's or something in not too not much longer of a time than everyone else. Um, but I was out on the road by myself and I was like, this is wicked. But just to have that, yeah, that legitimacy sort of sprinkled on my cause and the thing that I'm doing, and then to have Combank jump on and back me as well. They threw me five grand. I had no idea that that was happening. I didn't expect any of that. You know, I didn't expect, I didn't expect any of it. What a good start. It was amazing, yeah. In front of a whole bunch of strangers, having something strange as I was before we even did it, I was like, oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

But it was really cool. Yeah, it was really cool just to have their belief.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

Yeah, yeah. So Ned Brockman, he's young Australian of the year, seems like a really cool character, ran from Perth to Sydney, 4,000 kilometres, raising over $10 million for the homeless. Yeah. Amazing.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

Yeah, incredible.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

So any training disaster stories yet, Sammy?

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Uh, not really, actually. Not yet. But I know over the next couple of weeks, probably. I've been given a bit of support from a bloke called Josh. Josh uh has he was a or is a shearer. He has a coaching business called Next Gen Coaching, but he also has this other business called Precision Hydration. And he's jumped on to give me a hand to so I make sure I'm hydrated enough and full of carbs enough. And he was the one who helped me with my training ideas leading up, and then throughout that week, but he's given me a heap of supplements and like energy gels and stuff like that. And ever since then, everyone's been telling me, make sure you trial them out before the week on the road because you'll probably shit your pants. And I was like, well, right up my alley then. So yeah, not yet. Bit of a shop and trolley wheel, but that's just my chair at the moment. Yeah, nothing, nothing bad just yet.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

So, what do you do? Do you take spare wheels or an extra chair or extra parts?

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Yeah, so I'll have a heap of um spare like pushing wheels and rims. I think I've got four, three or four spares, and they'll be all loaded with new tubes and stuff like that. I've got a heap of little front caster wheels, too. I've got a spare cushion, a whole spare chair. We have had a bit of a drama with that. I got it given to me by a mate of mine. So it was sort of made for him, and which means it was sort of a little bit more dumped in the bum, and I couldn't touch the ground properly with my pushing foot. So we thought we'll cut the caster wheels off it and we'll just weld them to where they need to be. It's made of titanium, so not a lot of people weld titanium. So we had this chair with no front wheels on it, and then no one that we knew that could weld titanium. Anyway, disaster averted. I think I'll pick it up on Tuesday, so tomorrow, if we're filming today on Monday. So I'll let you know whether that works or not.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

And this person can weld titanium.

SPEAKER_01 18:03

He seemed confident, maybe a little too overconfident, but you know, confident nonetheless.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

So what's the plan if it rains?

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Keep wheeling. If it's light rain, if it's light rain or just steady rain, I'll just keep wheeling. If it's torrential rain, you know, obviously no, and I'll make the try and make the case up sort of somewhere else another day or that afternoon. But yeah, if it's light rain at the end of the day, it's just water.

SPEAKER_00 18:27

Yeah. What's the plan then if the body says nope, screw this?

SPEAKER_01 18:32

Oh, I haven't really thought of that because I'm not anticipating that to happen. I don't want that to happen. I'm not putting that out into the universe. Um, and you know, if it's not bleeding or broken, we're we'll be fine.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

And you have a support crew?

SPEAKER_01 18:47

Yeah, so I'll be using my van as the escort car, which is a Toyota Haye, so it's a ripper, sort of set up for it anyway. And I'll have people tag teaming throughout the week rather than one crew for the whole week because it's gonna be slow going on the road, very tiring for them. You know, most of my friends and family have small children, so they'll be tag teaming, which will be really cool. So I'll have different vibes throughout the week on a camera, driving the van, feeding me, hopefully give me a rub down from time to time, which will be good. And then yeah, they'll be with me throughout the night camping, which will be nice.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

So, where are you would be sore most shoulder and arm?

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Shoulder, look, probably. I haven't sort of experienced that just yet, but I'm I'm assuming throughout the week that that's what will happen. But um on the side of my quad, actually, because it does most of the work, but it also does the steering. Yeah, it steers me, and um, you know, the road isn't flat, it'll be I'll be on a camber for most of it, and all depends on whether that's to the right or to the left as to how I need to use that leg to help me steer. So, and my ankle, because my ankle only came on board back on board a couple of months ago after busting it in November.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

How did you do that?

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Water skiing.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

I couldn't believe it.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

And I'll be This is your good ankle, too. It's my good ankle, yeah, yeah. So I bruised the talus, which is your main supportive bone, and then busted all the tendons and ligaments around around the ankle itself, and then took a gash out of the top of the foot.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

I remember quoting you in an episode of mine in January saying, Your life has always been so hectic, and you've soldiered on, and yet it's still hectic, and that hectic life is still getting you into trouble. Water skiing. I just could not believe it.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Yeah, it was a it was a day, hey, like I found out that I'd won the Shine Award the afternoon beforehand, and then that morning I had uh it was our first day of world championships, and we had our slalem first up, and I'd just been telling myself, don't shit the bed because you shit the bed in America with Slalom. And I went out and smashed the world record by like eight boys, which was just mind-blowing. Um, and the weather wasn't cooperating very well for our jump, which was supposed to have a practice jump the day before. So after competition on that first day, we thought, oh, we'll run a couple of practice jumps for everyone just to make sure, you know, get familiarized with the jump and the boat, etc. And I went out for my first jump and I was like, oh, yeah, I'll actually go over it rather than just a practice cut. Went over it, caught a tailwind, lifted up the back of my ski and just drove me feet first in the water at like 50 Ks an hour. Got stuck in it because I was still hanging on, and then just ripped out, like, yeah, smashed the foot plate out of the ski and broke my paralyzed ankle, like snapped the bottom off my tibia, smashed my fibula into like eight pieces, dislocated the ankle in two different directions. But I couldn't feel it. So winner, winner, chicken dinner.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

I just saw it float to the surface of the water and it just looked real ugly.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

This is on your good leg?

SPEAKER_01 21:41

That was on my paralysed side. Right. Yeah, and then my good leg was just bleeding. And then they put me on the back of a $400,000 boat and took me to the blood everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 21:50

Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

I was like, yeah, well.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

And now you're back doing this event, that's just amazing.

SPEAKER_01 21:55

But the worst part about it that day was they tried to put me in the back of an ambulance. I didn't shed a tear. I didn't chuck a wobbly until someone was like, I'm calling the ambulance. I was like, No, you're not. I'm calling an ambulance. No, you're not. So Jude put me in the back of my van and drove me to the hospital. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:12

Now for our listeners, I strongly recommend you go back and listen to Sam's story that we published late last year, episode 76. But Sam, do you want to sum up your story briefly?

SPEAKER_01 22:24

Yeah, so uh long story short, I fell asleep, crashed my car, and then on the way to the hospital, the ambulance driver also fell asleep and re-rendered a car that was stopped at red traffic lights, and I went headfirst into the backs of the front seats, and I've been in a wheelchair for 12 and a half years and I'm paralyzed down my right hand side. That's a long story, very short.

SPEAKER_00 22:42

It takes my breath every time.

unknown 22:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

And so many other people too have said during that episode when you're told that part that they had to rewind it. Yeah. Did that happen? No way.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

But it did.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

And look at you now.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Look at me now.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

Sam, what snacks are you absolutely packing?

SPEAKER_01 23:01

Um, I get to eat white bread honey sandwiches because that's high in carb. So, you know, I'm just carb loading for a week and I'm quite excited for it. Killer Pythons apparently will be a really good one. Yeah, come just making sure I'm having my coffee in the morning.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

And you've got a local company at Coroa supporting you. You might be taking a few of their snacks, perhaps.

SPEAKER_01 23:23

Yeah, a bit of uh chocolate coat of licorice, you know, maybe a bottle of whiskey.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

So tell me about this support that you're getting from local businesses.

SPEAKER_01 23:34

Yeah, um, not local to me, funnily enough, but um local to where I'm starting in Korroa, which is, you know, I just picked Coroa as a random spot. And it's turned out to be incredible. Um, the Korwa Distilling Co. or the Korowa Chocolate and Whiskey Factory have really gotten behind me, you know. First off, just giving me somewhere to start because I was just going to pick a random road in Korrowa somewhere and go. But I'll start there. I'm doing a keynote uh down at the distillery for the town the Thursday night before I start. And then they'll do breakfast, coffees, and stuff like that and donate part of the income from that to the cause. Yeah, the local AFL team as well is getting behind me. It's incredible. And then that'll kind of rub off for my entrance into Juni, into the chocolate licorice and chocolate factory there too, because they're related. Oh, I actually believe it's a brother and sister having a bit of a Mexican standoff who can do this better, and I've told them that too. Um, the customers don't mind if there's a competition. And look, um, it's not lost on me in regards to, you know, that I'm starting at a distillery, you know, I'm starting at a whiskey factory. Um, alcohol isn't the answer to mental health at all. But, you know, these people do incredible things for the community, very community-minded, they donate a lot, they help a lot of people. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

And a shout out to Coroa Distillery Company because they have some fantastic products.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

Absolutely, yeah. And, you know, two old flour mills, one in Coroa, one in Juni, and they're both, you know, incredible tourist destinations too.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

And we recommend people to call through Juni to the chocolate factory and make a big freckle. Yeah, beautiful. And I believe you've got some catering companies helping you and Big Spring Water.

SPEAKER_01 25:18

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

The Com Bank have been amazing, as you said, and Ned Brockman.

SPEAKER_01 25:21

Yes, yeah, definitely. Um, the support from them already has been incredible. Yeah, it's kind of just been random people donating. Um, Virto as well, um, a company that I do um like advocacy work for, disability advocacy work for. They've thrown five grand at me as well, um, or at the cause, which has been really nice. Run a few ads, you know, a bit of radio stuff, which has been really good. And it's literally just been general people chucking their coffee money at the cause, which has been really nice.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

And this could be, you know, a donation of $50 or even $5 can go a long way. And it might be just that one coffee they skipped that morning.

SPEAKER_01 26:02

Yep, exactly right.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

It's gonna make a huge difference, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Absolutely. And look, it's also not lost on me that the economy is struggling and people are struggling financially. You know, if this can help take the load off some rural, regional, remote families by, you know, again, like you said, letting go of that one coffee that morning and helping someone else, and that's your way of being able to do that, just like this is my way of being able to help people.

SPEAKER_00 26:27

And that might help just that one person who's struggling a little bit out there somewhere that no one knows about yet.

SPEAKER_01 26:31

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

And what would you say to someone that's struggling right now?

SPEAKER_01 26:36

Ask for help. Have a conversation. God, you could say so many things, and I know that's the hardest thing, you know, but it's opening up, it's telling someone that you are having a rough day, you know. But surround yourself if people don't isolate yourself too much is the biggest thing. And that there are people wanting to help. Yeah, you know, and and so many people going through the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

What would success look like at the finish line in yes?

SPEAKER_01 27:03

Um, having my friends and family there, one actually getting getting to the finish line, which I do believe that I will be able to do that. You know, I'll probably not believing in myself enough to raise my goal, like financially, raise my goal. But at the end of the day, something is better than nothing. But just getting there, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

Are we there to ask what your goal is?

SPEAKER_01 27:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So my goal is $200,000. And we've I think we've raised like $25 or $26 grand. So we're eighth of the way there and haven't even started yet.

SPEAKER_00 27:35

All right, come on, listeners, log on. So, what's your planned date to finish in yes?

SPEAKER_01 27:41

Uh, planned date to finish is July 4th, so Saturday through till Saturday.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

And everyone's welcome to come and see you across the finishing line.

SPEAKER_01 27:49

Everyone's welcome. We'll have a sausage sizzle, you know. I'll have my bar there. I've got a mobile bar business, so I'll have one of my bars there, and all of the profits from everything sold will go straight to the cause. We'll have raffles, auction items. I think rural aid will have someone there, and um, I believe Riverina Bluebell will too. Yeah, it's kind of just like uh we did this together because this isn't just about me, this is a collective effort. I'm just I'm the pawn doing the thing.

SPEAKER_00 28:20

Yeah. Doing the hard yards.

SPEAKER_01 28:23

And just remind us how do we donate? Uh through uh a link called My Cause. So if you just write My Cause the Big Wheel under Google, it'll come up. It's kind of like go fumbie.

SPEAKER_00 28:34

And anything from $5 to $5,000.

SPEAKER_01 28:37

Yeah, it's all tax deductible as well. So, you know, mid midway through my wheel, June 30, get it in if you've got a tax problem.

SPEAKER_00 28:48

And if we want to follow you throughout on your socials, what do we do?

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Yeah, follow me. Semi J underscore Longmore. Whoever's doing uh escorting in the van and stuff like that, they'll have all my technologies. So they'll be in doing that. I'll be on Facebook as well. I think they'll probably try and go live. I believe I haven't heard back yet, but I believe I'll have someone doing a lot of videoing, maybe putting together a bit of a doco. Awesome. Um, so hopefully that happens. If that doesn't happen, if you know of anyone. So hopefully, and I'll be on Strava. I'll be on Strava every single day, you know?

SPEAKER_00 29:22

Good.

SPEAKER_01 29:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:23

With the rest of the world keeping track.

unknown 29:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

Sam, I've got a question from one of our listeners. When you have tough days, what are your go-tos or who do you draw from to get yourself up and about?

SPEAKER_01 29:37

Oh, who I want to be, I think. Yeah, who I am.

SPEAKER_00 29:42

Who you want to be, and and do you feel sometimes you're not always yourself? Is that what you're saying?

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Yeah, yeah. I'm not always sort of um the best of me, you know. I've seen what I don't want to be in life, and I've seen where I don't want to be in life, and I've been in better places some days, so I kind of wake up and you know, I make that decision. Who do I want to be today? Do I want to be the person that I strive to be, or do I want to be the same? And I kind of that's that's what I look to, you know, because at the end of the day, you've got to do it for you because no one else will, and that's a mantra that I've lived by for many, many years of my life, because it's for me in my situation, it's always been on me. So that's kind of what I do. I think if you lean too much on other people, um, then maybe you're not doing it for the right reasons because you'll never be them. But yeah, and sometimes it's you just I know it's probably an overused term, but you fake it till you make it. But in the sense of if you can trick yourself into being happy, you'll become happy because you'll think you sound ridiculous by laughing at yourself or something like that. You know, your life could be so much worse than than what it is, so just make the most of the moment that you're in.

SPEAKER_00 30:54

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 30:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

And this listener that we're talking about, I I know for a fact you've helped him a stack just by him going back to listen to your other episodes. Yeah. And he follows you. And he's so beautiful. He also says in a message last night, he says, Your resilience, positivity, and courage is amazing. I have regularly listened to your story when I'm having tough times. He says, I thank you for having the courage to share your story, as you have certainly given me inspiration on those tougher days to dig deep.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

And that's what it's all about. You know, if you've got a story to share, if you've had struggles, share them because you never know who your struggles will be helping. So the more that we talk about it, the more people that you'll help, right? And be honest in talking about it, you know. Again, you don't want to be anyone else other than yourself, be yourself.

SPEAKER_00 31:43

You've got lots of fans, Sam. Do you know that?

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Yeah, yeah, it's really cool. But I think, you know, that just comes down to being, you know, my honest true self, my quirky different, ridiculous self. Yeah, it's really nice. It's good. But again, it's a story, share it.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

We're talking about quirky. I've got some quirky off-the-wall questions for you. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_01 32:06

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

What's the most random thing you've packed for the trip?

SPEAKER_01 32:11

Oh. Oh. I can tell you what I haven't packed, and that is I haven't and I will not be packing not one single pair of underwear. Really? What's the story? I just don't need, I don't need that extra bit of material cutting into me. I've got to look at like precious oils and stuff like that. So, you know, I just freeball on it.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:37

Yeah, for eight days. How cool. Exactly. I won't be wearing a skirt. I can tell you that.

SPEAKER_00 32:44

On a windy day. Marilyn Munro, what's her anniversaries just recently?

SPEAKER_01 32:51

Classic.

SPEAKER_00 32:52

If your wheelchair could talk, what would it say right now?

SPEAKER_01 32:56

I can't go any faster. Stop trying to push me faster, probably.

SPEAKER_00 33:01

It's not saying put some honeys on.

SPEAKER_01 33:08

Probably. I'm sick of going up and down this same road.

SPEAKER_00 33:14

What's more painful, hills or bad coffee?

SPEAKER_01 33:17

Ah, bad coffee. Yeah, I think I'm gonna be needing a fair bit of it that week. Yeah, yeah, bad coffee. Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 33:24

Well, hopefully when I just made you was okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

It was actually really nice. Thank you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

How often do people tell you you're so inspiring?

SPEAKER_01 33:33

Look, I'll be honest, every single day, and I used to hate it, and I've thought a lot about it because I've had a lot of time to think lately. I hate it when they call me inspiring for getting out of bed in the morning. I understand when they call me inspiring for doing something like this. Because that makes sense, but not just because they have nothing else to say and just because I exist day to day. But doing something like this, I understand. And yeah, every day, and it's quite nice, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:06

And you're helping them though, you're inspiring them.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

Yeah, yeah. So that's when I understand it, and that's when I appreciate it, but not just because I breathe.

SPEAKER_00 34:16

Have you named your wheels yet?

SPEAKER_01 34:19

No, not. I have no personal attachment to the thing that gets me around every single day. Nah. Nah. Like I I enjoy the situation that I that I am in because I've made the best of it. Um, but I have no attachment to the chair itself. Yeah, other than can you stop fucking breaking down on me, please? Like one of my brakes is held away from my wheel with a scrunchie at the moment. It's busted. And I don't need it. I don't need the brake.

SPEAKER_00 34:48

Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

There you go.

SPEAKER_00 34:50

There's no stopping you, is there? Not even brakes.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

I've got a couple of friends, and I saw one of them at the park the other day. We were chatting, chatting, chatting. And then I said, All right, see, I'm gonna go for a wheel. He was with these kids, and he walked away. And then he took a big breath, turned around and looked at me, and he said, Sam, you're doing this whole thing in that wheelchair, aren't you? I was like, Yeah, mate. And I knew that was gonna come out of your mouth because he just thinks my wheelchair is a piece of shit. Um yeah, anyway.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

So, what song absolutely cannot be on your playlist?

SPEAKER_01 35:26

Anything slow and sad.

SPEAKER_00 35:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:28

Um, like I'll probably have some nice little ballads that I'll, you know, sing along to and that kind of thing, but I need upbeats. Um, I'm stacking podcasts at the moment, like downloading them so they can just kind of run through and I don't need to think too much. I'll probably split my day up into like podcasts in the morning and then some solid music into the afternoon. But yeah, nothing, nothing slow. It bores me, and I and I'm already bored enough on the road. And I know the saying, only boring people get bored, but I'm a busy person and I find wheeling long distances incredibly boring. So nothing sad and boring.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

Oh, look out.

SPEAKER_01 36:08

Let's see what ideas I come up with over the course of the week.

SPEAKER_00 36:11

That's right. If you could swap chairs with anyone for one day, who would it be?

SPEAKER_01 36:17

Anyone in a really cool swivel chair that they can get up and out of.

SPEAKER_00 36:20

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Uh no, I wouldn't.

SPEAKER_00 36:25

So thinking about your trip, what's more likely a flat tire or a full meltdown?

SPEAKER_01 36:31

A full meltdown, but not in the sense that I've lost my marbles. I think more in the sense of overwhelm. Because I'm really, I'm really grateful for all of the support, but I find it so overwhelming. Like, and I'm like, because I think to myself, really, like these people are actually helping me do this. So I think it will be a full meltdown in the sense of overwhelm.

SPEAKER_00 36:54

Right.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

Well, Sam, thank you for sharing your story. Good luck with the big wheel. I think what you're doing takes enormous determination, and the impact you're going to have on rural mental health will go far beyond the kilometres you'll cover, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

Thank you very much. Sometimes I don't think it's long enough, but we'll start here and we'll see what comes next.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

Thank you, Sammy.

SPEAKER_01 37:23

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

Sammy, you're an absolute powerhouse. We wish you all the very best for the big wheel and can't wait to follow the journey. If you'd like to support Sam and help raise money for mental health in rural communities, simply Google My Cause the Big Wheel. Any donation, big or small, would be hugely appreciated. And if you haven't already heard Sam's remarkable story, go back and listen to episode 76 on the Told of the Earth Farm Story. Thanks for listening.