They persevered through crosswinds, heavy traffic areas, gravel rash and of course aching muscles, and now the MADRIDE team have navigated the fourth segment of their trek around Australia in support of MADCOW, (Make A Difference, Change Our World), an organisation of Bendigo Baptist Church which provides services to make a positive difference in the lives of the homeless.
Led by Epsom Community Church Pastor Dave Gillett, the 10 cyclists plus their support crew rode 1900kms from Townsville to Katherine in July, raising $24,491 for MADCOW.
Dave said: “We have a lot of homelessness in Australia. We can sometimes look at problems and think they are impossible challenges, but I love the idea of doing what we can, with what we’ve got, wherever we are. In this way, we extend the grace of God that has been shown to us. To have the opportunity to help is really cool.”
There were high levels of camaraderie and collaboration amongst the team, which included riders aged from 13 to 75yrs. Each team member played a vital role in aspects of the ride, from setting up cooking equipment to ensuring the speed and breaks suited everyone. A car crew followed the riders to provide mechanical or strategic support enroute, and the meals team kept the team sustained – with steaming porridge ready by 6am for breakfast, and even sometimes preparing food at night by floodlight for the following day.
There were plenty of unforgettable highlights, including magnificent outback sunsets and scenery, swimming in dams and thermal springs, huge numbers of bats at one stop, two team-members’ birthdays, and many laughs and friendships enjoyed along the way.
During this ride, the team visited a school to answer questions about the trip and show children their bikes, attended a NAIDOC Week dinner kicking the footy with the locals at Elliot, and helped with a Salvation Army community meal at Mt Isa.
“We’ve done a ride four times now and each time when you get to the end you feel very relieved that everyone got there safely, and excited to be doing some good,” Dave said. “I love riding through the outback. It’s a chance to see all the different subtle changes in the surroundings – and to do this with a group of people is very enjoyable. When you’re on a long ride you end up spending all this time together and making lots of memories, which is really special.”
Matt Parkinson, MADCOW’s CEO, said proceeds from the ride would go towards general operations for homeless support services. “MADRIDE came out of a group of adventurous people who wanted to do something for MADCOW. Pastor Dave Gillett has been the driving force the MADRIDE each time – he and the team do a terrific job!”