What started in early August as an ambitious, untested idea has now become a real-time demonstration of human resilience and commitment. 

Charles Brice, a quadriplegic journalist and paracycling champion, is now on the cusp of becoming the first person with quadriplegia to complete a solo handcycle journey across Australia. 

His goal has never just been the finish line; it’s also been about raising awareness of the often hidden challenges of spinal cord injury and raising vital funds for spinal cord research. 

Charles has been supported on his incredible Wheels Across Australia journey by a rotating team of physiotherapists from South Australia, coordinated by Rob Bowden APAM. 

Six physiotherapists, including Rob, from private practice PhysioXtra and mobile allied healthcare business Kindly Healthcare have flown in and out of remote regional towns, each spending a week with Charles on the road. 

They are volunteering their time to provide treatment and support, both physical and emotional. Rob is a director at both companies and was introduced to Charles by PhysioXtra group administration manager Di Johns. 

‘I knew straightaway that we could help Charles,’ Rob says. 

‘This wasn’t just about getting someone over the line—it was about showing what physios can do, how we support people to achieve big, life-changing goals. 

Charles is doing something extraordinary and we’ve been honoured to be part of it.’ 

Each day of the ride has involved around 100 kilometres of cycling, powered entirely by Charles’ arms and shoulders. 

For a person with limited function below the armpits, the physical toll is immense. 

Charles’ shoulders, neck and upper back have borne the brunt, with pain, fatigue and stiffness setting in fast. That’s where the physiotherapists stepped in. 

‘Honestly, I couldn’t have done any of this without them,’ Charles says. 

‘For people like Rob and everyone involved in PhysioXtra to drop everything and allow their staff to come with me is more appreciated than they’ll ever know. If I’m able to get through it, they’ll be part of the reason why.’ 

Physiotherapists Di Johns, Katherine Wish, Alice Fry, Rob Bowden, Jessie Edwards and Oscar Wright host a pre-journey meeting with para-cyclist and ABC News journalist Charles Brice.

For Rob and the physiotherapy team—Di, Katherine Wish, Alice Fry APAM, Jessie Edwards APAM and Oscar Wright—the task goes beyond keeping Charles in good physical shape.

The team has had to draw on their motivational skills as much as their manual ones. 

‘A big part of it will be keeping him motivated, interested, engaged,’ Rob says. 

‘There are going to be high times, low times and boring times. Even being on the radio with him through that will be important. 

We’ll be getting him geared up in the morning, getting him both physically and emotionally ready and doing a lot of recovery aspects as well.’ 

While the task seems straightforward, the logistics have not been simple. 

The six physiotherapists will each spend a week on the road with Charles, flying in and out at scheduled intervals and providing hands-on support in often unpredictable situations.

This will ensure that Charles has optimal physiotherapy support for the duration of the journey. Rob, who is also an outdoors enthusiast, has donated his treasured LandCruiser four-wheel drive for use during Charles’ epic cross-country journey. 

The vehicle is fitted out with all the creature comforts including a rooftop tent, oven, fridge and coffee machine and it will serve as the physiotherapists’ treatment room, transport and place to rest. 

‘The plan is that each physiotherapist will be with him 24/7 for their allocated week,’ Rob says. 

‘We’ll be doing massages, mobilisations, soft tissue work and dry needling—whatever’s needed to keep him going. 

We’ll also help manage things like shoulder fatigue, hand grip issues and body temperature regulation, which are critical for someone with his level of injury.’ 

While Charles was training independently before the ride, with guidance from the South Australian Sports Institute, the on-road physiotherapy team serves as Charles’ ‘maintenance crew’. 

Their primary role is recovery and optimisation: helping him warm up in the mornings, checking in during rest stops and conducting longer treatments at day’s end to prepare his body for the next stint. 

Before departing on the ride, Charles told InMotion that he had already noticed a difference due to having constant physiotherapy in the lead-up to the event. 

‘I’ve seen a massive positive change just from the treatment I’ve had recently,’ he said. 

‘For a while I used to get remedial massage fortnightly but I haven’t had that for the past 18 months. Getting physio again has been a game changer.’ 

Each day on the road presented new challenges and obstacles for Charles, requiring different treatments in different locations—everywhere from on mattresses to in the car or in the cycle itself. 

Rob anticipated that there would be some trial and error. 

‘All the physios got together with Charles before the trip to go through the plan. We’ve got a WhatsApp group for clinical handovers and there’ll be a crossover day when the incoming and outgoing physios can share notes in person.’ 

Rob’s own leg of the journey took place in week 4—between Ceduna in South Australia and Mildura in Victoria. 

Strategically, this allowed him to check in on the equipment and resupply but he was also eager to contribute personally. 

‘We had more physios volunteer than we needed,’ he says. 

‘Everyone just wanted to be part of it. That says something about the spirit of the profession.’ 

All agreed that routine recovery—hydration, fuelling, sleep and emotional support—would be key to the ride’s success. 

‘It’s going to be a war of nutrition and fatigue management,’ Charles says. 

‘If I don’t eat and drink properly, I notice it in training. And recovery isn’t just physical.

Sitting around the fire at night or playing board games with the crew is going to be part of what keeps me going.’ 

Rob hopes that the journey will do more than raise funds for spinal cord injury research—he wants it to showcase the profession and what physiotherapy can achieve. 

‘We’ve had a rough time in the profession lately, especially in the disability space. But this is a positive story. 

It’s a reminder to the public and policymakers that physios are here to help people do great things.’ 

The journey was made possible by several key sponsors including practice management software company Splose (Rob serves on the Splose board of directors) and Phil Hoffmann Travel, which covered the physiotherapists’ flights. 

Money raised through Charles’ journey will be donated to Wings for Life, a world-renowned nonprofit research foundation. 

A wheelie great way to help Charles Brice set off from Perth in early August with an extraordinary goal—to handcycle more than 4000 kilometres across Australia. 

Charles aims to cross the finish line in Sydney in his threewheeled recumbent bike to coincide with Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week. 

Over 40 days, Charles pedalled with his arms through wind, rain and fatigue—hoping to become the first person with quadriplegia to complete a solo cross-continent ride. 

The ride was attempted by an Austrian relay team in 2010 but was never completed. 

A team of six volunteer physiotherapists from South Australia was with Charles throughout the journey, giving him physical and mental support for the arduous journey. 

Charles pushed his physical and mental limits while raising critical awareness of spinal cord injury and raising funds for spinal cord injury research through the non-profit Wings for Life. 

Visit charlesbrice.com.au to donate to Charles’ fundraising efforts.