The Rescue Warriors is a group of 12 blokes from mid Canterbury who are biking the length of New Zealand to raise money to support MISSION 2026, the modernisation and transformation of the rescue helicopter service across Canterbury and the West Coast.
Ahead of their ride in February 2026, we thought we’d catch up with each of the warriors to find out what’s inspired them to take on this challenge.
David has always been an active person, but he was 71 when he first jumped on an electric bike.
“Hamstring issues stopped me running and tendonitis on my heel made walking difficult, so my physio suggested getting a bike.”
Originally from central Hawke’s Bay, David moved to Ashburton in 2018 to be closer to his daughter, who was working on a dairy farm in Hinds.
Taking his physio’s advice, he started riding on some local tracks. On one of his rides he bumped into a fellow rider, John Davis, who was a member of the Hinds & District Lions Club.
“We had a cuppa; I ended up joining the Hinds & Districts Lions Club and started enjoying their twice-yearly biking trips.”
In Spring 2024, during a ride from Mt Somers Village up to Erewhon Station, David’s riding buddies started talking about the Rescue Warriors.
“I did a few more rides with those guys to see if I could handle it. Before I knew it, I become one of the pack.”
At the beginning of this year, David completed a major ride covering the length of the South Island.
“I’ve always suffered from a bit of self-doubt, but that ride convinced me that I could achieve this Rescue Warriors challenge.”
David admits his family thinks he’s crazy.
“My daughter’s quite worried about me. I’ve come off the bike a few times, as you do, but she can see how much better off I am for the exercise. I love it.”
While David has never needed the rescue helicopter himself, he’s well aware that Graham Thomas, a fellow Rescue Warrior, has been picked up twice by the service.
“I can’t think of a better reason to ride than to raise funds for the rescue helicopter service.”
At 74 years of age, David is the oldest Rescue Warrior. He’s a little worried about the 31 swing bridges around Tokoroa and Taumarunui and how his bike and bags may fit on them.
“I might have to take off my saddle bags and walk parts of the swing bridges; I hope the team isn’t too grizzly if I hold them up.”
However, David says he couldn’t think of a better group of guys to do it with.
“There’s amazing camaraderie between the Rescue Warrior crew and the rescue helicopter is a brilliant cause. It’ll be a great adventure, and I can’t wait to get it started.”
You can follow the Rescue Warriors on their incredible journey via their Facebook page.
At 74, David is the oldest Rescue Warrior. He says he can’t think of a better reason to ride than to raise funds for the rescue helicopter service.
