SHE MIGHT not have been the doing the pedalling, but a three-month, 5000km journey from Cooktown to Canberra was just as taxing physically on Kerri Rawlings.
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While husband, former ACT Brumbies coach Andy Friend pounded out the kilometres, Kerri was fighting her own battles in the support vehicle in a bid to raise awareness of acquired brain injury.
She suffered two major brain haemorrhages in a bike accident during a race in May last year.
The injury turned her daily existence into an energy-sapping challenge.
Kerri said the hardest part of the journey for her was coping with the fatigue.
''My routine before, some days I'd need to have some quiet time or a sleep to be able to go on with the rest of the day,'' Kerri said.
''But I couldn't do that on this trip because we'd need to get to the finish, set up for the night.
''It's just been really tiring, backing up, doing all the little things, I'm exhausted at the moment, but good exhausted.
''Some people have pointed out that's it's as much a challenge for Andy as it was for me. but I think he's done a particularly hard job.''
The Friendly Ride took the couple along the Bicentennial National Trail, crossing numerous rivers, over mountains and through rugged bushland.
Friend was joined by about 30 riders, including sons Jackson and Josh, for the final leg of the journey yesterday, from Gundaroo to Parliament House.
A crowd of about 50 supporters formed a guard of honour to clap and cheer Friend to the finish line.
Friend said it was surreal to be finished after 93 days of torture.
''We've achieved what we wanted too, raising about $140,000 and helped Kerri in her rehabilitation,'' he said.
''The big goal was to raise awareness of acquired brain injury and we've definitely done that.
''The reception along the way was brilliant, it was one of the highlights, we met so many genuine people who opened their hearts, wallets and houses to help out.''
While the ride is finished, the fund-raising efforts are about to kick into overdrive.
All money raised goes to Brain Injury Australia and the brain injury program of Outward Bound Australia.
But donations are still welcome and can be made at www.andyfriend.com.au
