A Wanaka nurse doing her bit to support rescue helicopters is heading off on her fifth year of a gruelling fundraiser.

Rebecca Grant is taking part in the 250km Queenstown to Invercargill bike ride today (Friday May 7) as part of the Westpac Chopper Appeal.

“I’m a nurse practitioner at Aspiring Medical Centre, so these helicopters are very near and dear to my heart,” she said.

“We see one about once a week, and I had two in one day recently.”

Rebecca said rescue helicopters are used for a lot of medical work these days, not just rescues, to get patients quickly to a tertiary hospital by saving time on the road.

Helicopters fly from Queenstown to Wanaka in just 20 minutes, and from Wanaka to Dunedin in just 40 minutes, and they are all equipped with intensive care paramedics, Rebecca said.

Riders and supporters at a previous Westpac Chopper Appeal ride.

While Westpac Helicopters aren’t used locally, the Westpac Trust ensures that money raised in a region goes toward rescue helicopter services in that region: in the case of the Upper Clutha, the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust and Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust.

While this is the fifth year Rebecca has been involved with the Queenstown to Invercargill ride, it’s only her third year riding in it (she drove one of the lead cars for two years).

The cyclists will start at the Frankton Westpac and finish at the Kelvin Street Westpac in Invercargill, with a stop in Riversdale for lunch.

Rebecca said she was most looking forward to “catching up with everyone because it’s been a bit lonely training up here by myself”.

What she isn’t looking forward to are the hills: particularly the “big one” at Five Rivers, and the ride through the Waimumu Hills after Gore.

Sir John Kirwan, one of Westpac’s ambassadors, will also be one of the 100 riders.

Last year was meant to be the tenth anniversary of the fundraiser, which has raised $60,000 for the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust each year since its inception. Previously each rider aimed to raise $1000, with a cap of 60 riders, but this year it has been raised to 100 riders.

Those who want to support Rebecca, and the rescue helicopter service, can do so via a Givealittle page.

PHOTOS: Supplied