Photographer to ride 6000km on horseback on epic outback healing journey

The 26-year-old wants to turn the untimely and tragic loss of both her parents - Terri and Gavin Wheeler - into motivation and inspiration, and will undertake a 6000-kilometre 'long ride' to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

Miss Wheeler and her three sisters - Jessie, Millie and Emily - have faced more loss than they should at their age, and Miss Wheeler said the ride would be her way of moving through her grief.

''This is not a race - this is about a journey of healing and hope with my beloved horses, whose welfare will be my priority," the Rowena resident said in a statement.

"It's about a trek and a destination while raising awareness and funds for cancer research into the rare upper gastrointestinal cancer I lost my Mum, Terri, to.

"It's about honouring both my parents and drawing on the grief and loss I've experienced to move forward and hopefully do something worthwhile at the same time.''

Miss Wheeler and her sisters' father, Gavin, died several years ago suddenly and unexpectedly from an enlarged heart.

On Saturday, March 2, hundreds of people gathered under the stars at the Burren Junction School of Arts for a night to remember, to send off Miss Wheeler on her journey of a lifetime.

Dubbed A Night Beneath The Brim, the 'black tie in the bush' ball raised over $180,000 for Pancare Foundation - a charity dedicated to upper gastrointestinal cancer research - as well as to support Miss Wheeler's expenses during her long ride.

Ball Committee member, Bernadette Phelps - a former wheat and dry cereal farmer and next-door neighbour to the Wheelers, said Terri and Gavin had been "beautiful people".

Mrs Phelps was backing Miss Wheeler in her long ride because she wanted to help her raise awareness for their legacy.

"I feel out of a sense of loyalty and friendship to her mum and dad that I want to be there for her and I want to back her and support her - and she's doing a pretty inspiring thing," Mrs Phelps said.

"She's doing it because it's how she's carrying her grief, and my personal interest in that is to support her in her grief."

The ball was exactly what the district needed. The younger people had been wanting a party, and the older generation were keen to support the Wheelers.

"There hasn't really been a function like this in that district for a long time - pre-COVID - and so there was a lot of energy and excitement around the event," Mrs Phelps said.

"We sold out our ticket allocation in under 12 hours because [Miss Wheeler] has such a big social media presence [and also thanks to] the community of Gavin and Terri's friends ... So it would two-fold.

"We really provided a rural and remote community with a jolly good event."

The evening, with a band from Sydney, beautiful catering and support from local businesses, was "a really beautiful energy and vibe" and "everyone was excited".

"We haven't had a chance to really get dressed up in a remote setting for a long time," Mrs Phelps said.

The businesses around Burren Junction gave $100,000 in donations prior to the event.

Mrs Phelps said the tragedy of the Wheeler story "resonates with everyone" because it "could be any of us", and it also brought home the difficulties accessing medical treatment while living in the bush.

"They're ordinary, lovely, everyday people like the rest of us, making their living in a pretty remote area," Mrs Phelps said.

"The death of Gavin rocked everyone, but the death of Terri, the fact that these four young ladies have been left with this property to run, and the fact that they have lost both their parents at such a young age, is confronting and it really evokes an empathy in people."

Miss Wheeler's long ride will take her from her home in rural NSW, north to Mt Isa, east to Charters Towers, south to Wagga Wagga, then west to Hay and back north to her home in Rowena.

She will take her beloved horses, Shifty and Sally, and the goal is to ride between 15 to 30 kilometres per day. She will sleep in a swag and have a support vehicle - driven by volunteers - travelling with her.

Miss Wheeler said managing her horse's welfare will be the biggest challenge for her during the ride.

"[I will be] getting nutrition coaches and things like that and talking to vets along the way, and just getting as much professional advice as I can," she said.

Miss Wheeler learned to ride before she could walk. She didn't ride for a long time after her dad died but she felt ready to get back in the saddle recently.

How would her parents feel about what she's doing?

"My dad would probably be cheering on the sidelines. My mum would probably be fretting ... but all in all I think that they would just be happy that I'm doing something that means a lot to me," she said.

"I think they would love seeing me getting back into my horses and finding my confidence again."

Miss Wheeler will be travelling five days a week and her weekends will be her own. She was looking forward to the network of friends she would make along the way.

"I'm most looking forward to meeting new people, involving people, hearing other people's stories of their struggles and their grief, inspiring people, inspiring young people to get outside and not be on these phones that we all are glued to," she said.

"... And me, myself, getting out there and being in a routine, and having something to accomplish."

Miss Wheeler plans to leave on May 6. As a photographer and content creator, she plans to showcase her journey through a photography exhibition and a commemorative book after the ride - and hopes to create a documentary of the long ride.

To support Miss Wheeler, go to her Instagram account @_beneaththebrim, or her Facebook page Beneath the Brim and follow the donation links.