CHRISTMAS has come early for bike rider Jess Goodwin.
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The Eaglehawk teenager had his bike stolen earlier this year but now thanks to local boxer Brad Quinn and Hectic he has been given a replacement worth more than $500 and is being sponsored by the company.
His new bike previously belonged to the son of Hectic director Rob Felini, Liam, 11, who said he was happy to give his bike away but hopes Santa might get him a new one this Christmas.
Mr Goodwin,17, said he was “over the moon”.
“This is completely unexpected,” he said.
“My bike was my only possession and it was taken. It was one my friends had given me.
“So this is a blow out for sure, I didn’t expect it.
“We’ll see where it goes from here; I just live each moment and hope to make something of it.”
Mr Goodwin’s mother, Melanie Byrne said this bike means a lot to her son who has been riding since he was little.
“It is something he has always wanted to do,” she said.
“He had started working to get himself a bike and I couldn’t be more proud of him.
“People over the years have said they would do this or that and they would sponsor him but now it seems to be coming together.
“He is living his dream.”
Mr Quinn said it all started when he saw a Facebook video of Mr Goodwin doing tricks and decided to do something to help him.
“I know his uncle and he told me his bike had been stolen. So I talked to the guys at Hectic,” Mr Quinn said.
“I have been involved with sport for a lot of my adult life and I have seen sponsors come and go and it has always been about them, these are the first guys that have a social conscience. It is so rare, they do it purely to assist young talent.
“I want to get as many young girls and guys from the Bendigo area posting videos on the Hectic Facebook page so we can get more of them sponsored.”
Rob Felini, co-director of Hectic, said it was about trying to get kids who do not have a lot and are underprivileged but have great talent to enhance that talent.
“We are an extreme sports brand but we are not aimed at the elite," he said.
"We want to offer help to kids who might not have parents who can throw in, there is a lot of talent and we want to help kids who might otherwise not have the chance, to enhance that talent.”
Hectic is also working with Father Bob and is involved in a Melbourne project aiming to provide better sports facilities for people in wheelchairs.