When Cate Green was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, life as she knew it began to unravel. Her once-active body became unreliable, her independence slipped away, and fear crept in. The most terrifying moment came one morning at exactly 2:33 am, when she woke to find herself suddenly paralysed-unable to move her limbs, gripped by confusion, panic, and an overwhelming sense of loss. It marked the beginning of a gruelling journey of rehabilitation, grief, and gradual rebuilding.
But Cate has never been one to back down from a challenge.
Rather than surrender to her diagnosis, she chose to do something radical: to ride. Not just around the block or to reclaim a bit of strength-but to cycle solo across the entire state of Victoria. With her trusty bike Sheeba, Cate set off to reconnect with her body, her spirit, and the world around her, one pedal stroke at a time.
Vic Ride is part memoir, part travelogue, and all heart. Through open country roads, coastal winds, and hill climbs that tested her limits, Cate brings us along for every high and low. She documents the raw reality of living with an invisible disability-the physical setbacks, emotional breakdowns, moments of beauty and connection, and the inner battle to keep showing up even when everything hurts.
But this is not just a book about cycling. It's about learning to trust your body again when it has betrayed you. It's about embracing the unpredictable nature of chronic illness with courage and curiosity. It's about redefining strength-not as pushing through at all costs, but as knowing when to rest, when to persist, and how to keep going, even if the path looks nothing like you imagined.
Along the way, Cate discovers the unexpected kindness of strangers, the healing power of solitude, and the unbreakable thread of community that holds her-often when she doesn't even realise she needs it. With humour, fierce honesty, and soul-deep insight, she shows that grace often finds us in the messy middle of things: on wind-blown hillsides, in quiet country towns, and in the quiet triumph of just getting back on the bike.
Vic Ride is an unforgettable journey through pain, purpose, and personal growth. It's for anyone who's ever felt broken, lost, or limited by circumstance-and anyone who's dared to dream of something more. Cate's story is proof that when life knocks you sideways, you don't have to stay down. Sometimes, the road back to yourself is paved with two wheels, a lot of grit, and an unshakable belief that your story isn't over yet.
