330 km in one day. Why would a 21 yo girl want to do that?
I have always wanted to use my passion and enthusiasm to help others. I began last year by taking on the Great Cycle Challenge where I rode 1344 km in one month, raising $1810. However I wanted this to just be the beginning...
I want to show people that the power of the bicycle is huge. Bikes can take you to so many stunning places, being out on a bike with friends is such a thrill and you can go on so many adventures and share in the joy with friends. Bikes can shave minutes off just a 5 km commute, beating the rush of peak hour. Bike riding can keep you healthy both physically and mentally.
I came up with this ride one night just as I was about to go to bed. I was looking on google maps of a ride in Tassie I could do while I'm home over the Christmas break. I ended up seeing the distance of the loop I created and panicked. However I immediately thought, why not do it for charity and then I was so excited and probably should've been sleeping but planned most of the ride in the next few hours. The route has changed with some input from local riders so that it is less isolated with more towns to re-fuel. It adds an extra 80 km on top of my original plan, making it a 330 km ride in one day. Given my previous biggest ride was 165 km, this is pretty huge! I've now done a 200 km ride as well to test the legs!
Choosing beyondblue and the Amy Gillett Foundation as the charities to raise awareness and money for me was very easy. I figured it would probably be easier to just choose one but I couldn't. Both are very close to my heart. Mental illness has had a huge impact on so many of those closest to me. No one should ever have to receive a good-bye message, and in saying that, no one should EVER have to feel that way. I hate the stigma surrounding mental health issues, in writing this I've had to leave so many details out in respect to those I love. But I don't understand why if someone has a mental illness, it has to be hidden, whereas something also awful like cancer, is so huge in the media and people feel they can talk about their struggles and reach support more easily.
My wish is that awareness of mental health issues will be increased and the stigma surrounding it decreased. This ride is about a small group of people being put through a huge challenge, but using each other to get through. Checking to see how everyone is feeling, sharing our food/drinks, enjoying our time and maybe even literally give a helping hand to help people through. It may sound corny but that's how I wish mental illnesses were treated. People could more easily say 'no, I'm not ok, can you please help me?' and we do everything we can to help that person-through just chatting, info resources, health professionals, referrals etc.
Amy Gillett Foundation involvement is because of my passion to ride to cope. In struggling with the divorce of my parents and feeling like I was always 'caught in the middle' so to speak, I used training for triathlon and it's community, as well as diving even harder into my studies as a way to cope. I didn't realise that was what I was doing at the time though. Looking back, it's very easy to see. I remember once as a 14 yo out on a ride with a bunch of veteran men. I was next to a man for a while who told me so much that has stayed with me. He basically told me he was told by his doctor he would probably die from cardiovascular disease if he didn't do something drastic to change his lifestyle. So he bought a very cheap bike, and took up cycling. He lost a great deal of weight and 'cycling has changed my life', he said something along the lines of 'I no longer want to end my life'. As a young teenager, this conversation had a huge impact on me. He told me that if I ever struggled with life 'to always keep riding and keep smiling'.
This may seem a bit out of touch with exactly what the AGF is about, but I believe the benefits of exercise (in my case, cycling) are so beneficial to a person's health-both physically and mentally.
Outdoors, friends, support, exploring new places, challenging yourself, stunning scenery etc, list goes on! But unfortunately many drivers don't have that respect as they don't understand how it helps us to be healthier, hopefully happier, people. I want to improve the rider-driver education so no one gets abused on the roads, everyone respects and watches out for each other no matter what form of transport they're using-whether it be car, truck, bike, walking/running, the occasional horse even! Everyone has a right to get home to their family safely and not be abused for doing something that keeps them healthy, social, and happy. So that's where the Amy Gillett Foundation comes in. The values of this Foundation are exactly what I would love to work towards achieving in Australia. 0 fatalities.
The ride will also be one day before the 1st anniversary of the passing of Lewis Hendey, a 21 yo male rower who was hit and killed from behind by a car along a very popular stretch of road for cyclists in Launceston. I knew of Lewis from our running days in primary school, but I had friends who were very close to him who trained with him for rowing. He sounded like an amazing young man. His passing seems so senseless. It was a straight, long section of road with good vision. Why on earth this wonderful life, along with so many other similarly tragic stories, has been lost, is just horrific. People are driving cars and trucks, they need to be paying attention! they need to be respectful of everyone around them. It's just unbelievable how many lives are lost on our roads-drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists. These are people who are loved! I just wish everyone would respect each other and be aware of all road users. The Amy Gillett Foundation campaigns are doing a wonderful job of improving rider-driver education and awareness and I would love to know that I have helped in achieving the goal of 0 fatalities.
Throughout the past month, I've realised this ride has even more implications that I could imagine. I'm a 21 yo girl hoping to ride 330 km in one day. About a 12 hour day if all goes to plan. There is a race in SA that's a 110 km handicap race that women aren't allowed to enter. We have a 40 km option instead..upon appeal over the last two years, this race has been somewhat opened to women so long as they email a request to compete in the 110 km race. It's so backward. There are numerous races around Australia that still bar women from racing. I hope that I can show what women can achieve if they set their mind to it. It's time to put an end to the limits that are put upon us.
There are currently 8 riders confirmed to ride with me, 2 of these are women! I'm still hoping to pull the legs of another few women to up our numbers. I'm stoked that so many people want to join me on this adventure to raise awareness and funds for the AGF & beyondblue. I can't thank them enough for joining me on this crazy plan !
I'm very grateful for the support of my Mum, Sharron Yaxley, and step-dad Tony who will be driving the support vehicle for us all day.
I'm forever grateful to all of my family and friends and can't wait for this next journey of mine!
So far we have raised $530 for beyondblue and $252 for the AGF. Let's get these numbers up!! Let's build momentum and make the ride worth every bit of pain! Let's make a change to the image of mental health and increase respect of all road users.
To donate, click on the following links:
Amy Gillett Foundation:
http://cycle.gofundraise.com.au/page/GeelanH
beyondblue:
http://cycle.gofundraise.com.au/page/GeelanHa
Thank you,
Hannah :)
