Peloton Cafe || Matthew de Vroet
By Matthew de Vroet
Across Down Under represents more than just a bike ride. Since I was 12 and first began cycling, I have found a passion for the sport, and a desire to accomplish great things. However, after constant setbacks during this year, including injury, illness, and my changing environment (moving from Perth to Melbourne, and beginning university), I essentially began to see myself losing motivation and moving away from the sport, something I really didn’t want to do. I never stopped loving to ride my bike, but I felt as though I just needed a bit of a reminder as to why that passion had always been there.
From 20 November to 9 December 2015, I will be cycling 4300km ‘Across Down Under’ from Melbourne to Perth in an attempt to challenge myself both physically and mentally, with the purpose to raise funds for an organisation I am passionate about, beyondblue. My goal is to raise $20,000 for this incredible charity, which aims to address issues such as depression and anxiety.
I remember reading an article in May of this year about a group that was riding up to Northern Queensland, and immediately my mind was churning with ideas of how I could similarly challenge myself, as I felt the passion returning. From then on, I was set on riding across the country, and I have already begun to see the personal results of setting such a goal for myself.
But more importantly, I wanted to do this ride in order to make a difference. Leaving school and beginning University this year has really opened my eyes to much of life’s harsh realities, with depression and anxiety being one of the prominent issues within our youth today. I have never understood why mental health is not treated with as much seriousness as other life-altering conditions, and therefore I saw this personal challenge as an opportunity to also make a change on a much larger scale.
I know that as an individual my impact will not be enormous, however it is my hope that I will be able to firstly raise money, and more importantly awareness about this prevalent issue in our society. If just one life is changed for the better owing to me completing the journey, then it will make the 4300km more than worth it.
In particular, I hope to raise awareness about the issue of male depression, with beyondblue reporting that 1 in 8 men experience depression at some stage of their lives. I believe that this is an issue that greatly needs to be addressed in the media and in our everyday lives and therefore I hope that funds raised in support of this challenge will assist in this important cause.
In order to achieve my goal of cycling across the country however, I will need support not only by donations, but also through general support in the community.
To get involved or donate money please visit Across Down Under and follow the journey on Facebook.
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