In the world of ultra-endurance cycling, few challenges are as epic as crossing the vast expanse of Australia coast-to-coast. For Ella Bloor, this 4,000-kilometre journey from Perth to Sydney was more than just pushing the upper limits of her physical endurance—it was a profoundly personal journey, a tribute to her late friend Maddy, who sadly lost her battle with leukaemia at the tender age of 26. Ella’s ride wasn’t merely about covering the massive distance but about finding solace and embracing resilience in the face of life’s perpetual ebbs and flows.  In Ella’s own words, “the richness, sadness, joy, losses, and the fire of purpose.”

Ella’s ultra-endurance journey began with a solo ride from Canberra to Albury in 2023. She explains, “In an attempt to find my spark again, I became obsessed with spontaneity and the satisfaction I’d feel from planning and executing an adventure, no matter how big, small or random it may have been!” Crossing the border into Victoria after 350 kilometres sparked a desire in Ella to take on something even bigger.

“That night, I knew I wanted to do more,” Ella recalls. “I resolved that I would ride across the country.”

This decision set the stage for months of physical and mental preparation. Skip forward to August 2024; she was ready—ticket booked, bike prepped, and a one-way flight to Perth, signalling the start of an epic fortnight for the ages. The following extracts are taken directly from Ella’s diary entries during her incredible feat of cycling solo across Australia.

“It finally felt great to be riding after thinking about this adventure for so long. My bike felt fast as I pedalled through the sleeping city just after 4am. As the day unfolded, I was on the road to York, popping in and out of valleys blanketed with fog. After a quick bakery stop and adjustment of layers, I went back into it.

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur - quiet roads through fields contrasted by highways, trucks and dancing back and forth off the edge of the road as they rumbled passed. Hot chips, pot noodles and a new love of cherry ripe saw me through to Southern Cross just before 10pm. I’m tired but happy.”

“There’s something to be gained from everyday. Whether it be a wave from a passing van, chatting to other travellers as I arrive in the dark on my two wheels or the kindness from complete strangers offering water or simply checking in.

I could focus on the time I’ve spent sitting in the dirt patching tubes, or yelling to the universe in rage that I chose to endure this suffering, but I know these moments pass and are just part of this experience.

I reached the end of the 90 mile straight, and made it to Caiguna rest stop. When you’re riding, there’s noise. Wind, gears, the gentle squeak of your bags. It sometimes takes pausing to remember you’re out in this vast and beautiful land.

I rolled into Cocklebiddy under the stars. The road was quiet, peaceful and I feel ready for the road ahead.”

“When I first started thinking of this ride, crossing the iconic Nullarbor Plain was a major piece. I had a lot of apprehension about this 1200km stretch, given its notorious reputation.

A few months ago, desperate to gather any intel I could, I reached out to Nedd Brockmann, I figured, who better to ask than someone who’s literally run the thing. He basically said, the winds are fucked, the trucks are fucked - but just fucking do it anyway.

I’ve got 300km left of the Nullarbor to go, and I can confirm that both are true, but everyday I’m grateful I’m out here.

Descending into Madura pass and reaching the Great Australian Bight. It only takes one moment each day to make it worth it.

I’m also glad I’m not running it.”

“Purpose and meaning. I’ve been asked a lot by people I’m meeting down the road, ‘what made you want to do this?!’ - and I keep coming back to the simple answer, because I can.

The Canberra cycling community lost Maddy Marshall in 2022. She was only 26 years old, and her memory is something that continues to fuel me to make the most of everyday.

During 2023, when my mental health plummeted, I’d feel angry at myself for feeling so lost, when I have opportunities and so much relative privilege. The anger has slowly turned to self-compassion, and I have become a lot more patient with life’s turbulence.

I want to look back and be able to say or at least feel that ‘I did that’ rather than, ‘I wanted to do that’.

The last 600km have been mellow, as the expanse of the Nullarbor has turned into a light peppering of sleepy rural communities across SA.”

“The routine of being on the road is well and truly settling in. Above all, it revolves around patience. Patience for the sun to rise. Patience for my body to warm up. Patience for horizons to get closer, and town signs to count down. Life out here has been simple, I wake up, get on my bike and take the day as it comes.

With patience, comes presence, and it’s been a privilege to watch the scenery gradually shift and change. From orange roads, to rolling green hills. Approaching the Victorian/NSW border I can feel that home roads are getting closer.”

“The goal was never the destination. The goal was to simply do something that challenged, excited, scared avnd inspired me.

Happiness, sadness, gratitude, awareness, vulnerability and strength can’t exist without each other. The heightened sense of all these emotions and more is something I will cherish forever.

The final day brought a lot of joy, with faces I knew all along the stretch to Sydney’s iconic harbour. Reaching my hometown, my dad, roads I’ve spent hundreds of hours on, my best friends and family - is indescribable. Cycling has given me so much, and a community of inspiring, daring, kind and courageous people is one of them.

It’s been humbling to share this adventure, and I hope to see you get down the road too, wherever it may be.”

“The goal was never the destination. The goal was to simply do something that challenged, excited, scared and inspired me.

Happiness, sadness, gratitude, awareness, vulnerability and strength can’t exist without each other. The heightened sense of all these emotions and more is something I will cherish forever.

The final day brought a lot of joy, with faces I knew all along the stretch to Sydney’s iconic harbour. Reaching my hometown, my dad, roads I’ve spent hundreds of hours on, my best friends and family - is indescribable. Cycling has given me so much, and a community of inspiring, daring, kind and courageous people is one of them.

It’s been humbling to share this adventure, and I hope to see you get down the road too, wherever it may be.”

“I moved to Canberra from Sydney at the end of 2017 and slowly became friends with this incredible group of women. These women are inspiring… Doctors, Olympians, World and National Champions, Mt Everest summiteers, and business owners, to name some of their accolades outside of being great people. Maddy was part of the heart of this group, and as we’ve aged, had children, moved away or moved on, there is something about this group that will always feel special to me.”

In memory of Maddy Marshall, please donate what you can to The Leukaemia Foundation. You can follow Ella’s future endeavours at @ella.bloor and ellabloor.com.