FORMER Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh will bring his 2018 Captain’s Ride to the North-East in October and November.
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The annual ride will set off from Healesville on Octover 28, travelling more than 700 kilometres through Marysville, Mansfield, Bright, Mt Hotham, Harrietville and Falls Creek before coming to an end in Albury on November 3.
Riders take on the challenge to raise money and awareness for children with rare diseases.
A group of prominent Australian athletes will be joining Waugh for the journey, including Adam Goodes, Anna Meares, dual-Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson, thre-time Olympic hockey medallist Mark Knowles, and six-time Paralympic gold medallist Michael Milton.
Waugh said the ride was all about demonstrating the importance of having a team behind you to help you through life – no matter what.
“We know how critical it is for children with rare diseases to have support,” he said.
“From the outset the motivation of The Ride has been to ‘put rare diseases on the map’.
“It’s about awareness of rare diseases and the bravery of the kids who live with them, and in some way replicate what our kids and families go through daily.
“Strength of character” is at the core of the Foundation and what we do, from the people we support, to the people who support us.”
The ride, which is one of the Steve Waugh Foundation’s flagship events, seeks to raise money for young people with rare diseases aged up to 25 years old.
One in 10 Australians are affected by a rare disease, and of that number, more than 400,000 are children.
The gruelling journey frequently features climbs of more than 1100 metres.
Michael Milton said a big part of the ride was about expressing solidarity with the children battling those rare diseases.
Ï think we all face challenges in our lives, and everyone who is riding here has chosen that challenge,” he said.
“We're working hard to help kids who are challenged for their whole life, but they haven’t chosen that challenge.”
Adam Goodes said it was important for the former cricketer's foundation to get recognition for their important work.
“It's really important for people to understand what we're doing and what the foundation does, because these families haven't got anywhere else to turn to,” he said.
“Steve Waugh is providing that help.”
On each day of the ride, one family will share their personal story in a video produced by the foundation.