By Tanya Faulkner
Riding bikes for a brighter future is the goal of one resident, who is embarking on her biggest challenge to date.
Ferntree Gully local Rachel Veloff is participating in this years’ United Energy Around the Bay cycle challenge, to raise funds for the Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision Foundation.
Her goal is to complete the 50 kilometre bike ride, alongside her teammates from Coldplast, Notting Hill, as both the challenge to raise funds, and a personal fitness challenge for herself.
“It’s a big challenge, this will be the furthest that I have ever ridden on a bike.
“This is our first time completing the fundraising challenge.
“We have done other fundraisers before, but nothing quite like this,” she said.
The Coldplast team is made up of eight colleagues from the business, working together to train for the ride and raise their funds for the cause, and were the reason Ms Veloff decided to participate.
“I wouldn’t be doing the challenge if it wasn’t for my colleagues.
“They are very supportive, and we are all completing it together to help raise awareness for the charity,” she said.
Ms Veloff said she’s been training for a while now, with her family right behind her in support of the ride.
“My eight year old and 11 year old have come training with me on my bike rides, and my eldest son will be doing the ride with me on the day.
“We recently did a big 24 kilometre ride into the city from Ferntree Gully along the track, and that’s where the idea came to invite my son to do the race,” she said.
Ferntree Gully is home to several walking and bike tracks, which Ms Veloff said she has been putting to good use in her training sessions.
“I’ve been slowly building up my rides, and regularly go from Ferntree Gully to Jells Park and back.
“We have so many bike tracks and trails to ride on, it’s a beautiful area that we should be making the most of,” she said.
The purpose of the ride is to raise funds for Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision, helping fund vital research and increase support for Australians, and their families, living with bone marrow failure syndromes.
Maddie Riewoldt was 26 years old when she tragically passed from Aplastic Anaemia, a form of bone marrow failure.
In her final weeks with her family, she asked them to make her a promise; she didn’t want anyone else to go through what she did.
According to research by the foundation, an Australian is diagnosed with a Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome every three days, mostly among children and young adults, with a 50 percent chance of survival.
The fundraiser is one of the biggest events on Bicycle Network’s calendar, for Victorians to challenge themselves for a good cause.
Ms Veloff said she is excited to get out there and raise more awareness for those who are impacted by these diseases, and do something for herself at the same time.
“I’ll be really pushing the limits of my personal fitness, but it’s for a good cause.
“I want to prove to myself and my kids that we can do it, and the sky’s the limit,” she said.
Her aim is for more locals to get involved in fundraising activities where they can, and not to be afraid to get out there for their own health and wellbeing.
“Just do it, register, get your team to register and just do it.
“I’m not a super fit cyclist, but I’m doing it anyway.
“Get on that bike, get the gel seat topper and get on the track!” she said.
Locals can get behind Ms Veloff’s fundraising efforts by visiting fundraising.mrv.org.au/fundraisers/rachelveloff
