Mr Anfruns, 27, recalled how as a teenager he would have benefited from the Angel Flight service when he fell sick with Lyme disease.

“I was living with my family in central Queensland and we would travel more than 1200 kilometres to Brisbane for diagnosis and treatment when I was 13,” he said.

“It took three years to diagnose the disease and then I needed treatment.

“I missed a lot of school, we would spend up to one week at a time in the car, travelling to hospital and back.

“The doctors thought I had multiple sclerosis at first.

“I was tired, my skin turned yellow and my vision was permanently affected.”

And after being told he would never fly a plane, Mr Anfruns defied the odds and became an aircraft pilot at age 17.

He is now an RAAF aircraft maintenance engineer, while Ms Fitzsimmons is a research officer in molecular neurobiology.

The adventurous couple – called CareCycleOz – will cycle more than 16,000 kilometres leaving Newcastle on May 1. 

They will travel anti-clockwise around the continent visiting every capital city and Tasmania.

“I had already cycled my way around South America, which was great, and Ben wanted to see Australia,” Ms Fitzsimmons said.

“I get car sick so bikes were a good option for us and to be charitable at the same time.”

They plan to visit schools, youth clubs and other community groups along the way to talk about the importance of charity, ­education and environmental sustainability and responsibility.

They also hope to increase the visibility of science, aviation and the Australian Defence Force as career choices.