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Throat cancer survivor takes on dusty Outback ride

Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today
Shyamantha Asokan
BBC News, West Midlands
Steve Griffiths A man sits on a dirt bike on a dirt path. He is bald and he has a grey beard. He is wearing a black and brown jacket. The bike is lime green. Steve Griffiths
Steve Griffiths, a cancer survivor who is still dealing with side effects from his treatment, said the ride would be a "huge personal challenge"

A throat cancer survivor is to take on a 4,000-mile (6,437km) ride across Australia in extreme temperatures and dusty conditions despite the disease making it difficult for him to swallow.

Former rally driver Steve "Sport" Griffiths, from Quarry Bank in Dudley, originally decided to take on the coast-to-coast challenge after a friend's wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

But in 2023 he discovered he had oropharyngeal cancer, and had to postpone his trip while he had six weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

He said the ride, including the Australian Outback would be a "huge personal challenge" but hoped to raise thousands of pounds for two cancer charities.

The 56-year-old will be carrying water pouches strapped over his shoulders, as his cancer treatment has severely damaged his salivary glands, leaving him with a permanently dry mouth.

He said he was passionate about raising money "to support research that will help find kinder treatments," due to his own experiences.

A man stands in a room with glass walls. He has a bald head and a grey beard. He is wearing a purple zip-up t-shirt with a white collar.
Mr Griffiths will face extreme temperatures - and possibly playful kangaroos - during the ride

Mr Griffiths will arrive in Brisbane on 17 June and face extreme temperatures during the ride - freezing at night and up to 34C in the day.

He will also be camping in the Australian Outback during the 24-day challenge.

"I'm told that camels and kangaroos like to run alongside vehicles and play, so that's another really dangerous hazard we all need to be prepared for," he said.

"I'll need to check my shoes [for insects and spiders] each morning, which I'm not used to, so it will be quite an experience."

Getty Images A photo of an arid landscape with reddish sand and low bushes. There is one tree on the left.Getty Images
Mr Griffiths will be riding and camping in the Australian outback during the 24-day challenge

Mr Griffiths, who used to be a Peugeot rally driver and mechanic and now restores World War Two vehicles, is raising money for Cancer Research UK and the McGrath Foundation, a charity that provides cancer nurses in Australia.

He will be part of a team of five dirtbikers who will begin the journey at Steep Point, on the western Australian coast, and end in Byron Bay after seeking special permission to cross Aboriginal territory.

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