Before Sunday, Emma Bolton had never been to Morris Park or attended a Dubbo Dirk Bike Club event.
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In recent times there has been a lot of experiences Bolton never expected to have and, unfortunately, a lot of those have been far from positive.
Bolton is currently preparing to undergo chemotherapy treatment for a brain tumour, discovered after she collapsed one day at work.
Surgery removed close to half of the mass but there is still 12 months of treatment ahead.
While there is a long road before her, Bolton had a smile on her face on Sunday as she attended the Dubbo Dirt Bike Club's Mac Daddy Cup.
Started in 2015, the now annual event commemorates former club member Mitch Mackay, who passed away after a battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
As well as being one of the club's biggest events of the year that draws in hundreds of riders, the gala day also raises funds for people in the community who face their own health battles.
This year, Bolton and fellow Dubbo local Andrew Tomlins were the recipients of the funds raised.
Tomlins couldn't be at the event, but Bolton was there and couldn't have been more thankful after seeing the donations handed in and people stop to wish her the best.
"Everyone's love, genorisity and support has given me the strength to get through this," she said.
"It's been life-changing and something I didn't expect as a healhty, fit, young person.
"I never expected to have a brain tumour so I've drawn on everyone's support for strength and it's kept me positive as well."
Kerry Mackay, Mitch's mother, was also in attendance and for her, understandably, it was a day of mixed emotions.
She knows first-hand the draining affect of near-constant trips to Sydney for treatment can take on a whole family and in the four years of the Mac Daddy Cup event has been immensely proud to see the club doing what it can to help anyone in need.
"As a family, we're appreciative of Dubbo Dirt Bike Club for holding this event and we're very appreciative to be part of it. But at the same time it's tinged with sadness," she said.
"We're proud and it's a lovely day but it is a happy and a sad day at the same time."
The Mac Daddy Cup shootout race itself is one that honours Mitch.
In a show of determination during his chemotherapy, Mitch had treatment on a Tuesday and was still out at the track to race on Sunday.
"He got a whole shot and led for about half a lap but he didn't have the energy levels," Kerry said.
"The whole concept behind the Mac Daddy Cup shootout is about that concept. It's one lap."
Riders contest one lap and the last five are eliminated. Another one-lap race is then contested, and so on until the final field is created.
This year's shootout, which was a fun event with one competitor delighting the crowd when competing in a giraffe costume, was won in dominant fashion by Jason Redding of Mudgee. He won each of the preliminary races and the final to collect the $1000 prize.
The fundraising was a success on the day, with more than $4000 raised for Bolton and Tolmlins.