A Bendigo academic and avid cyclist will take his classes on the road in August, setting off on a 2229-kilometre journey to raise money for water projects in remote African communities.
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La Trobe Rural Health School academic and I am Someone chairman Dr Brad Hodge will cycle from Bendigo to Uluru on August 13.
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With all money raised going towards I am Someone, Brad hopes to not only raise awareness but also get people talking about water security.
Brad said he was looking forward to the challenge.
"I have done long trips before and they are usually through New Zealand or Blue Mountains so this is my first time going rural and remote and that excites me and there will be a real challenge of riding in the desert," he said.
"I work at La Trobe and in the rural health space and I do a lot of work with rural communities and I have a real interest there.
"My not-for-profit and the voluntary work I do for 'I am Someone' involve working projects in rural and remote areas across Africa.
"I thought there is a nice connection there and we have a need in our projects for improved water security, we take it for granted here.
"I thought what better way to raise money for water than to cycle across one of the driest places in Australia and bring great attention to the work this organisation is doing."
Brad will be doing the trip unsupported and will be carrying all of his gear and camping along the way.
He will be heading off after work on Friday, August 13.
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"I will probably only get 50 or 60 kilometres done on Friday but that gives me a head start, I have some constraints as I will continue to do the work that I do at La Trobe," he said.
"I will have to teach that on the road so I will need to hit Renmark by Wednesday as I have two classes to teach and another couple on Thursday.
"I will be teaching off my tablet and because we are a university of rural health, we have a network of other universities that do the same thing; there is a campus at Renmark so they have offered support while I am there.
I thought what better way to raise money for water security than to cycle across one of the driest places in Australia and bring great attention to the work this orgnaisation are doing.
- Dr Brad Hodge
"They will offer me an office space and internet connection when I am there."
Brad said the money raised would help the charity deliver projects that lift children without family support out of extreme poverty.
He said the organisation has projects in countries across Africa and have big dreams to expand their work to support some of the most vulnerable kids in the world.
"Working with an orgnaisation that can draw a clear line between the work that they are doing for very little money and very real meaningful outcomes is amazing and for me that's really meaningful and being a part of that is really exciting."
You can contribute to the cause here.
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