Cycling eight hours non-stop is no easy feat, but sports stars and community members alike are accepting the challenge to change lives and raise funds for Telethon later this month.

Former Perth Wildcats player Greg Hire is one of 30 riders taking part in the Alcoa Cycle Challenge alongside schools, sporting clubs and other celebrity athletes.

“Being a former professional athlete, physical sort of challenges is something I’m excited about,” he said.

“If you’re in a position to give back and help others, why not?”

In preparation for the eight-hour test of endurance, Hire said he has been trying fit training in whenever he could, while being a dad and working full-time.

“I’ve been waking up at four or five o’clock in the morning and trying to do three, four hours before heading to work

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