When most of us are holidaying and catching up with friends and family, Rob Gomm will be riding 1800 kilometres to Adelaide and back to Melbourne over Christmas and New Years to raise funds for The Asthma Foundation of Victoria.
“My ride is not part of a large group or event,” he said.
“There is no extended support crew to help along the way. It is simply one person who is trying to show that anyone can have a meaningful impact on an issue they care about.”
Rob is aiming to raise $10,000 for asthma education, resources and research by riding his bike further than ever before.
Robin Ould, CEO of The Asthma Foundation of Victoria, recognised Rob’s great feat.
“As we are a not-for-profit organisation, we very much rely on support from the community. Rob is undertaking an enormous challenge and we’re very appreciative of his effort for The Foundation and people with asthma,” he said.
Rob has plenty of motivation.
“When I was much younger, I was diagnosed with asthma and suffered from a number of severe asthma attacks. Luckily, I was too young to remember, but my parents and brother still have powerful memories of the pain my attacks caused for the entire family.
“This gives me the motivation to raise awareness and funds”.
Asthma affects more than 2 million people nationwide and is one of the main causes of hospitalisations in children. There is still no cure and a lot more can be done for those in the community who have asthma.
Rob will leave from Federation Square in Melbourne on December 24 and ride south-west, hugging the coast until he reaches Adelaide. He will then return to Melbourne via an inland route, and aims to arrive home on January 10.
>> To donate or for an update on Rob’s progress see his blog http://rideforasthma.wordpress.com/
>> Asthma information: www.asthma.org.au or call 1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462).
