Meet the 16yr old who cycled 667km through the rugged Aussie outback

While a lot of teenagers spend their time video gaming and Snapchatting, Taj Mueller spent 5 days riding solo in one of Australia’s most grueling cycling events.

THE GIBB CHALLENGE

The Gibb Challenge is an extraordinary 667km event through the red dust and corrugated dirt roads of the remote Kimberley region in the northern tip of Western Australia. Most participants in this adventurous event enter as relay teams, but Taj wanted to set himself the personal challenge of completing the ride solo.

With rugged ranges, prehistoric vegetation, deadly native wildlife and spectacular gorges and water crossings, the ride is an epic adventure.

To record the incredible sights, Taj used the Cycliq Fly12 to capture every bone-crunching minute of his ride. You can watch the highlight reel of his outback experience here:

Taj found the Fly12 – Bike Camera very easy to use, and the snug handlebar mount kept the unit lock-solid despite constant shaking and vibration from the hundreds of kilometers of corrugated pindan and shale roads. The nanotechnology repelled moisture and dust to keep the Fly12 going when lesser cameras would have given up. The 10 hour battery life also kept up with Taj’s grueling long days of riding.

TRAINING

To complete the 667km in 5 days, Taj has to plan his ride meticulously and set goals for each day. He rode an incredible 220km on the first day. Training for the event included 150-200km of riding every week, plus swimming and water polo sessions most days to build his endurance and stamina.

RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITIES

The Gibb Challenge raises money and awareness for charities. All riders in this socially competitive event must sign-up sponsors and raise money for the major beneficiary and the charity of their choice, with the first $1000 going to the major charity. Taj rode to raise money for Youth Beyond Blue, a teenage mental health charity, plus the major charity, The Royal Flying Doctor Service, which is an air ambulance service performing a vital role in non-urban regions.

LOYALTY, HONOR, INTEGRITY, BRAVERY AND COURAGE

The Australian Navy entered a team this year, and they were very impressed with Taj. They picked him, out of all the 350 Gibb Challenge riders, as someone who constantly displayed the 5 core Navy values of loyalty, honor, integrity, bravery and courage. Taj was deeply honored to receive the award of a ships coin from the HMAS Canberra for  being a fantastic role model for youth.

“A big thank you to all of my supporters and I encourage anyone to dust off their bike and seek a challenge of their own” – Taj Mueller – 16 years old.