Damien Rider to tackle his iconic Rainbow Bay to Bondi paddle again a decade later
An extreme athlete nearly died eight times 10 years ago - now he’s recreating the epic trip. Read what’s prompted a do over.
Gold Coast
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Gold Coast extreme athlete Damien Rider’s latest challenge sees him tackle a solo 800km ocean paddleboard epic to Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach.
It’s a life-and-death journey he did ten years ago, setting a new world record - and he’s about to do it again to mark the anniversary and highlight the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation.
Known for living on the edge, Mr Rider has embarked on many extreme journeys.
He’s scaled the side of an airborne hot air balloon via rope ladder with no safety harness to reach a parachute on top before skydiving off, he’s pulled a 2.8 tonne Jeep truck for 12km and paddled in the Maldives for 480km over nine days. He also once ran the Gold Coast Marathon with a mattress on his back.
Mr Rider, who will paddle from Rainbow Bay to Bondi, said he couldn’t believe it had been 10 years.
“It’s quite a milestone for me, and also for people who have followed on the journey,” he said. “I’ve had some dark times in this last 10 years. I was always going to do something on the 10-year milestone, but I just didn’t quite know how significant it would be.
“It just gives people that hope, if we all made it this last 10 years, with the highs and lows and everything that went on in the world, and we’re still here doing it, we can probably do another 10 years.”
Mr Rider, who suffered child abuse himself and founded his own charities and awareness weeks, said the last Rainbow Bay-Bondi paddle was incredibly challenging.
“I had no [expectations] last time because I didn’t know what to expect or what I was going to face, nearly lost my life eight times.
“All the noises, voices, visuals, everything popping up from my childhood, and now this time, I don’t have those.
“I’m super excited about where my mind will go to and what I can experience and what elevation and what level I can get to being that I’m in such a calm, beautiful, amazing place.
“Just take in mother nature and the divine universe, and just share the gratitude and love with everyone along the way without all that darkness.”
Mr Rider said he was hoping to go the distance in a shorter time than the 17 days it took 10 years ago.
“I’ll be riding an aqua bike, I’m hoping to do it in 12 days.”
Mr Rider will filming a sequel to his 2015 documentary Heart of the Sea capturing his first solo paddle.
“The film will be about what I’ve been doing in 10 years for my athletic events, but also highs and lows,” he said.
“Speaking to other people along the way, some who were in the first film, some new people too, just about highs and lows of people’s last 10 years.
“It’s just to show people we’ve all gone through stuff, but we’re all still here having a go.
“I’m going to be doing [Instagram and TikTok] lives along the way as well and talking all about it and giving some tips how to how we can overcome things.”
Mr Rider, embarking on January 3 from 5.30am at Rainbow Bay, urging locals to come down to the beach to send him off.
“Heart-led Warriors are going to do a breath work session to give me good vibes to send me off,” he said.
“Everyone’s invited to come down and join in and see me off at 5.30am on January 3 at Rainbow Bay.
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