If your business burns down twice in one year, what do you do? Scream and curse? Shake your fists at the sky?
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For Tathra local David “Croc” Little - the answer has been more considered.
“If God is going to throw you a curve ball, then you’ve got to catch it and run,” Little said.
However, in Little’s case he’s not running. He’s cycling; in the toughest physical challenge Tathra has to offer; the King Nelba 75km at Sunday’s Tathra Mountain Bike Enduro.
Despite being a relative newcomer to mountain bike riding, Little has embraced the sport with gusto.
“The best thing about mountain bike riding is everyone is friendly and helpful.
“The other real benefit is there’s lots of good trails around Tathra.
“For me the endurance events are more fun the older you get. I don’t have that explosive speed to race the 50km, but I like the thought of challenging myself to do the longer rides,” he said.
Time has also been on his side, with the 40-year-old left unemployed when his bottle shop was destroyed by fire in January, only to be followed by the March bushfire which then burnt a temporary premises.
“It’s been a tough time of life,” related Little “But I can’t do anything about it. I could shake my fists at the sky or I can get on with it.
“In years to come I will look back at this and count it as a blessing that I got to see a side of family life that you miss out on when you are busy with a business.
“Ironically it’s also give me plenty of time to train for the Enduro.”
Tathra Cellars has been an Enduro sponsor for the past five years, but only now does Little get to shine on the bike.
“It’s nice to be able to support the event as a sponsor and ride as a competitor.
“Up until now I have been too busy with the business and family to contemplate riding.
As for expectations, Little – who is more famous for his Tathra Sea Eagles 300 senior SCAFL appearances – said his goal is to finish.
“I’ve got five hours in my head as a goal. If I got under five hours I would be ‘wow’, but I am more than happy to poke around and just finish,” he added.
Croc will just one of what officials said was a stellar line up including Olympians, Australian mountain bike champions and locals heroes to guarantee one of the most competitive Tathra Beach and Bike Enduro rides ever.
Organisers predict some of the toughest racing yet, with junior riders set to usurp some of the more seasoned rivals across the Enduro’s main marathon events.
Over 350 riders have so far entered the Enduro, which features five mountain bike events over two days.
