Adam Blatch is not a cyclist, but that won’t stop him from riding 500 kilometres in and around the ACT to help change the lives of grieving kids. It’s a cause that’s close to home.
He won’t be alone in this Tour de Capital.
At 8.30am today, Thursday 13 April, 33 riders will hit the road. They will start with a jaunt around the sparsely populated farmlands north of the historic town of Gunning, NSW.
The big finishing line at the end of Day 4 (16 April) will be the one and only Camp Magic.
There, the young campers will be waiting to cheer them on, followed by a well-earned lunch.
This magical plot of land is what 33 cyclists, plus their support crew, are aiming to fundraise a grand $150,000 for with their four-day trek.
The donations will fund 100 kids to attend non-profit Feel the Magic’s signature camp for kids who are grieving the loss of a parent, guardian, or sibling.
Despite heading Feel the Magic as CEO, Adam admits that he isn’t a keen cyclist. With encouragement from his fellow riders, he’s decided to take on the Magic Ride for the first time.
Fellow cyclists, like Australian news and sports presenter Mike Tomalaris, will be joining Adam on Day 4 to reach the finish line.
Adam, however, is committed to ride out the whole four days.
Most nerve-wracking of all will be Day 2, he says, when they will cycle through Canberra and follow the Murrumbidgee River back out of town, rolling through the undulating terrain along the fringe of the Brindabella Range – the longest stretch of the journey.
“Although, no day is looking particularly easy,” he told Canberra Daily. “All of us have our own reasons for being there.
“My brother-in-law died by suicide, leaving behind my nephew, who was two at the time… Watching him grow up, we saw the challenges that can bring to young people.
“Kids whose parents die by suicide are two to three times more likely to die by suicide themselves.”
Adam’s nephew, who will soon be 20 years old, was never able to attend camp magic. “Like so many kids, he had to find other way to live through bereavement.
Adam says that regardless of how he does on the journey, if even one kid finds Camp Magic through what they are doing, it’s been a success.
“1 in 20 kids in Australia will experience the death of a parent before they turn 18. One in every classroom.
“Once a kid who has lost a parent, or another kid in sibling loss, comes to Camp Magic, they realise they’re not alone.”
From its beginnings in 2020, Magic Ride has become vital support for the camps – funding four so far – which is free of charge to eliminate any barriers to families seeking support.
One hundred and eighty-eight children have come to Camp Magic, inching bit by bit to Adam’s ultimate finish line: “No kid should bereave alone.”
To donate or enquire visit feelthemagic.org.au
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