Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 17 March 1940, page 16


PAT HAWKINS' AMAZING WEEK'S RIDE

World's Records Smashed

On Her

"Malvern Star"

Pat Hawkins, of Victoria Park, W.A., is only 18 years of age and is Westralian born

She has only been cycling for a little over 12 months, but during that short time has shown herself to be possessed of outstanding ability-but even more important for long distance cycling-heaps of grit and determination that have kept

the pedals turning when mus- j

des have been tired i-nd calling

for a rest.

Her charming, unassuming manner has made her first fav-orite with sporting fans in the West, and a brilliant cycling future is predicted for her. She's truly the "Décima Nor-

man of the Wheel!"

Hail Put:

At thé completion of her world's recordbreaking achievement Patricia Hawkins is hore seen today receiving the con-gratulations of an enthusiastic crowd.

One of the outstanding athletic feats in the history of this ' State concluded yesterday when at 12.47, Pat Hawkins, the young Western Australian girl cyclist, brought to a finish her

weeks' riding on her Malvern Star cycle.

v lt was an epic ride, all world's records were broken, and ie again a West Australian has demonstrated that this State roportion to its population can more than hold its own in the ifield of

etic endeavor.

^ The huge crowd present at the Malvern Star headquarters in

Hay-st. yesterday when the Minister for Works, Mr. H. Millington, officially checked in Pat Hawkins a week after her starting on her astounding ride, testified to the intense public interest in the youthful girl cyclist's endurance test.

Pat's cycling career is only a little over nine months old, bnt she has already packed a wealth of cycling achievements into that short period.

Her crowning performance has been, of course, the past week's ride when she smashed record after record and from a position of almost obscurity has cycled her way right in the limelight of the public's notice and placed a series of records on a pedestal from which they will take some toppling.

When she started her ride a week ago no one anticipated. that she would break every record about the place, and her string of records at the conclusion yesterday were:

World's record for week's cycling, 1646.6 miles; new 1000-mile Australian women's record, 4 days 8 hours 7min., breaking previous record by 53min. Western Australian 24-hour record, of 259.7 miles. Lowered W. Humphreys' W.A. figures for week's riding by 97.3 miles. Lowered Ossie Nicholson's re-cord by 39 1 miles; Nicholson was un-til recently holder of 12 months' cycling record, his figures fOr the week's rid-ing being 1507.5 miles.

Those who followed the attempt t speak highly of the girl's courage and ; determination to see the ride through, j She battled against the bad turns that j she had, and which always come in I heavy endurance rides. On Thursday ; night, when a heavy thunderstorm j

raged almost throughout the night she wanted 22 miles to make the 1000 miles and record, li r?aa suggested that she stop for tea, but she pushed her trainer aside, and' continued. She certainly bas the .heart of a lion. On Friday she also rode through the night, but at daylight nature took its toll, and she fell asleep on her bicycle. She ran into the scrub at the side of the road and fell off. She was lifted into a car for an hour's sleep, after which sho con-

tinued on to the finish, and she looked j so fresh at the conclusion that lt might j

have been thought that she was com-mencing Instead of completing a record

ride.

"What are your intentions for the future?" asked "The Sunday Times" interviewer at the finish. "Well, first of all, I think I'll put up a week's record for sleeping, and then I think I'll go for a. fortnight's holiday-riding my bicycle?' said Pat.

And that's the spirit of this young girl of whom eyeypne In Western Aus-tralia ls proud. Congratulations and good luck for the future, Pat.