Rider profile: Geoff Battle

I was born in Tamworth in 1961 and lived there until I was 20. I went to Hillvue Public school when it first opened and was school captain. Then moved on to Tamworth High whereI stayed until finishing yr 12 in 1979. My father, Peter Battle, was a teacher there. He and my mum Ivy still live in Tamworth, in St andrews Retirement Village.On leaving school I joined the Commonwealth Bank and worked for about 4 years in Tamworth before starting my travelling around the state. I worked at Gunnedah, Uralla, Cowra, Moree and Inverell branches, mainly in the loans department. In 2003 I left the bank and took up a job as the manager of a credit union in Forster Tuncurry where I remained until I was retrenched in 2005. After 4 months of being unemployed I landed the job as general manager of the local funeral home, which is where I am still employed. Its a job I enjoy immensly.I am married and have been for almost 7 years and inherited three children, now 22, 21 and 16. My wife (Deb) is a nurse, in charge of the operating theatre and day surgery at the local private hospital.Sports intersts outside bike riding would include soccer and volleyball. I am aslo heavily involved in the local Uniting Church as I have been ever since I can remember and am a qulaified lay preacher.I have two sisters, Marie and Jennifer; Marie lives in Forster and Jennifer is a school teacher in Maitland.