Events
Cycle Cambodia Challenge 2009
The verdict is in: our first cycling adventure in
Cambodia was the trip of a lifetime!
When ChildFund Australia put the
call out for people to take part in our first-ever Cycle Cambodia
Challenge, we soon had 14 brave participants signed up. Over the
next few months, they worked tirelessly to raise money and get
their fitness levels up - and before long, it was time to get on
the plane!
The group began the 11-day trip in the capital Phnom Penh, where
they spent the night before travelling by bus to Svay Rieng. Here
they visited the Chouk Meas school where the money from their
fundraising activities is being used to construct a new building.
The group got to see with their own eyes the dilapidated school
buildings that would be replaced, and even watched the first
bricks being laid!
"Everyone was moved and it was a real privilege to see," says
Victorian participant Peter Musson.
They also spent time playing and talking with children at their
children's clubs and visited a fish farm run by a local youth
group.
The next day saw the team embark on their first day of cycling.
Spirits were high but mingled with nervous anticipation as they
set off from Svay Rieng to Prey Veng - a daunting 96km! Over six
days, the group continued on through rural villages and lush
green countryside, notching up 320km in total.
"Riding with other members made the challenge fun and distracted
from the distance," says NSW participant Elyshia Rodrigues.
The trip gave the team a unique insight into daily life in
Cambodia. They witnessed poverty first-hand, which was often
confronting, but only strengthened their resolve to continue to
help children in need. It was also inspiring to see the progress
that had been made by ChildFund Cambodia in just 18 months of
operation.
"The highlight was definitely the ChildFund project visit and
high-fiving scores of Cambodian children on the side of the road
as we cycled through remote provinces," says Victorian
participant Bobbie Andronikos. "I will always remember the
wonderful people I met. It made me believe that I can make a
difference."
Thank you and congratulations to our wonderful Cycle Cambodia
Challenge team: Bobbie, Jake,
Adrian, Kristen, Warren, Zita, David, Turia, Adam, Kaaren, Tom,
Elyshia, Peter and Will, who not only made the trip incredibly
fun but raised more than $60,000 for the Chouk Meas primary
school - and to Belinda and Jackie, our tour leaders, who made
this inaugural event such a resounding success.
