Chronic pain is INVISIBLE. It’s INVISIBLE and ISOLATING.
Mark Brinker, 29, discovered this five years ago. He had finished college in America and lived and worked in San Francisco. He had the world at his feet, but a constant headache that he endured daily changed all this.
He knew something wasn’t right and packed up his life in the States and came back to Australia, where he was eventually diagnosed with Keratoconus. While most people haven’t heard of this disease, 1 in 84 people in Australia are living with it. It’s a degenerative eye condition which results in intense photophobia and eye strain.
While Mark has had surgery to slow the progression, his symptoms of a constant dull headache and a sharp pain behind his right eye remain to this day. “It took me the better part of 3 years to fully regain my confidence, to accept that it may never go away. The last 2 years have been just learning how to manage it,” he said.
“What’s hard to describe to people is that chronic pain strips you of your sense of self. You spent your whole life building these schemas of how you interact with the world based on countless hours and experiences; when chronic pain comes into the equation, none of those schemas feels valid anymore.”
Despite the challenges, Mark’s determination and courage are unwavering. He is not letting chronic pain hinder his goals, and he needs your support to achieve his next big feat.
On Friday, February 1st, Mark will lead a team of riders at Fitness First Park Street Platinum in Sydney’s CBD in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest static cycling class. Their goal is to ride for 33 hours, breaking the current record of 31 hours and 34 minutes.
Under the strict guidelines of Guinness World Records, the event will require synchronised cycling, precise video documentation, and minimal rest, making it a true test of endurance and grit. They will ride continuously from 8 am on Saturday the 1st throughout the night until 5 pm on Sunday the 2nd February.
“In addition to the core team, we are encouraging members of the public to create teams of 4 to join in on ride for 3 hour shifts to boost our core team’s morale over the 33 hours. We will also be live streaming the event.” Mark said.
Mark is inspired by two of his best mates, who were part of a crew that rowed 40 days across the Atlantic Ocean in 2021 and raised $250,000 for Gotcha4Life. As a spin instructor, he figured out what better way to raise money than to do a spin-related challenge. Sixteen cycle riders will join Mark for the full 33 hours while they cycle to raise $33,000 for Chronic Pain Australia.
Chronic Pain Australia is a non-profit organisation that raises awareness, educates the public and healthcare professionals, and provides vital resources to help individuals manage chronic pain.
“Individuals with chronic pain have ample emotional support for emotional suffering in therapy and physical support for physical suffering in physiotherapy. However, there’s a lack of emotional support for physical suffering, which is what Chronic Pain Australia excels at. They need the funds to provide more people with this crucial support,” Mark emphasised.
Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability in Australia, impacting the lives of over 3 million Australians. That’s AT LEAST 3 million people in our beautiful country who are in pain EVERY SINGLE DAY.
In essence, this record attempt involves enduring 33 hours of pain to support those who endure it daily. That’s why we’ve named the event The Chronic 33. “We’re going to endure 33 hours of pain as a team. That pain would feel magnitudes greater without the emotional support we’ll give each other, “ he said.
Mark wants the story of their ride to highlight the profound power of connection. “Although you can’t make the pain disappear, with the right people in your corner, you can find the bravery to carry on.”
Donations can be made at https://chronic33.raiselysite.com/
When: From 8:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st, to 5:00 PM on Sunday, February 2nd
Where: Fitness First Park St Platinum, located at 2 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Livestream: Instagram: @the.chronic.33 or via @goodco.mpany_
Words written by Melissa Bessant