Four mates combined their passion of riding, and passion for equality, into a motorcycle adventure of a lifetime. Travelling over 10,000kms in 4 months throughout India, advocating for children’s rights, the boys have now landed back home and production of their forthcoming documentary has already begun.
Cam, Scottie, Tay, and Ben are the champions of this story. A bunch of mates who all grew up surrounded by bikes since a young age. From racing dirt bikes to bashing about on properties in the rural outskirts of Sydney, this would be a passion that would lead them onto more charitable things.
As these mates grew older, their appreciation of the life they were granted grew into a new meaning as they looked at what equality meant. Cam had visited India previously, and it was there that a chord would be struck. “I was instantly drawn to the children that I was fortunate enough to meet, and could really empathise with their individual stories. Despite the card they had been dealt in life, many were determined in their goals in life.”
It’s this appreciation of what we have, and not what we lack, that would be the drive for this journey of awareness and discovery. “We are so often unhappy with what we have because it doesn’t represent our dream situation, and in doing so, we fail to truly succeed and find our inner happiness. To help inspire and bring opportunity to more children was our dream, and our love for motorcycles allowed us the most exciting way to travel across the country and visit these children that inspired us.”
The ride would be dubbed Ride For Rights, with it’s aim to give underprivileged kids a voice and a chance to achieve their goals. They partnered with an Indian NGO, who start at a grass root foundation that provide the building blocks to bridge the gap for better health, rights, and education – for children and parents alike. “Partnering with CRY (Child’s Rights & You) allowed us to experience these issues first-hand throughout the country, and witness the successful integration of their programs. CRY works to provide education for children as young as 3. They would learn to understand the basics of hygiene and nutrition and see children learning in classrooms all the way through to graduating higher education.”
So what bikes do you smash out 10,000kms on across India? Some proudly Indian owned and made Royal Enfields, of course. Royal Enfield helped support the boys journey by supplying them with some of the new Himalayan adventure bikes. These machines would receive a massive workload as they tackled all kinds of terrain, putting their purpose to the test. “We saw it all on these bikes. Beaches, deserts, rivers, highways, jungles, cities and everything in between. They were more powerful than most bikes on the road in India, so having a little more squirt and ability to take these off road mean more fun and exploration for us.”
“Having motorcycles and a map that spanned the entire country, we were fortunate to be able to reach many rural areas and experience a raw side of India. This allowed us to meet a lot of inspiring people, and do our part to try and tackle some of the issues being faced. The children and their positivity were our drive when the going got tough, and they really left a lasting impression on us all. Knocking over close to 600-700kms most days in 40+ degree head was challenging (throw in a few 50+ days as well), paired with rough roads and road rules merely being a suggestion. 50% of the time you’re playing Russian roulette while the other you’re dodging animals or playing chicken with an oncoming truck. But hey, that’s all part of the adventure.”
Beneath the very serious cause of this journey lay plenty of adventure for excitement. Riding the highest road in the world in a blizzard at 18,380ft above sea level will definitely get the blood pumping. “Being the first through to Leh this year from the Manali side saw us facing snow, ice, blizzards, rivers and glaciers. We even had to take matters into our own hands as we lowered our bikes into a canyon 50m down to get to the other side due to bridge maintenance.”
“We’re all incredibly proud of each other for completing this journey. This idea formed around the kitchen table and with months of dedication, it became something much bigger than we ever anticipated. It wasn’t easy, the initial stages of organising were tough, as well as having issues with foreign correspondence. The project pushed us on a personal level, and it’s a true example of being able to carry out your dreams. It sounds cliché, but we didn’t take no for an answer. We persisted, and got what we needed to make this ride a success. We hope that we can inspire other like-minded individuals to do the same. Get out of your comfort zone and do something you’ve always dreamed of. It’s important to remember that we can’t change the lives of all underprivileged children immediately, but if you can make a difference on a smaller scale then the effects can be much larger.”
To find out more about their journey check out their facebook HERE
Help support their cause here – www.ketto.org/fundraiser/rideforrights