2nd Novem,ber, 2012

FAYE MICHELSON

It’s a long road back to recovery from lives devastated by alcohol and drug abuse. For eight men, the 1,000 km they rode last month is just part of their journey to break the cycle of addiction.

The participants and two staff members from The Salvation Army’s Miracle Haven Recovery Services Centre (Morisset, NSW) set off on 16th October to pedal an incredible 1,000 km on their  ‘rode2recovery’ bike ride, telling their stories to thousands of young Aussies along the way.

MAKING TRACKS: The 'rode2recovery' cyclists. "We wanted to get across to kids that the choices they make at that young age can have deep and lasting effects on their whole lives." - Salvation Army caseworker Mark Gambrill

Rode2recovery started at Miracle Haven, with the cyclists heading to Tamworth via Singleton and Merriwa, through Walcha to Wauchope and Port Macquarie, on to Taree, Gloucester, Raymond Terrace, Maitland and Kurri Kurri (NSW). They finished their gruelling ride at the Salvos’ Dooralong Transformation Centre.

Salvo caseworker Mark Gambrill says the concept of rode2recovery developed over a few years.

"The boys at Miracle Haven used to ride pushbikes around and one day I said to them, 'How would you like to do a big ride, like a 1,000 km?', and it grew from there," he says.

"Then we started thinking about how we could expand the idea to incorporate something meaningful into it. We decided it would be great if we could visit schools to talk to students, because a lot of the guys in the program started their addiction or experimenting with drugs and alcohol when they were at school.

"We wanted to get across to kids that the choices they make at that young age can have deep and lasting effects on their whole lives."

Matthew Lynch, one of the rode2recovery riders, understands only too well how drugs and alcohol can send someone into a downward spiral.

During his teens, he self-medicated to cope with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which led to a cycle of drug use and abuse. Despite landing a great job as a sound operator, then cameraman, at a Sydney television station, his life spun out of control.

Matt says if it wasn’t for the Salvos, he’d be dead.

"I’d drink, pass out, get up, drink, pass out. The whole day, every day", he recalls, adding that the weekend party binges soon continued into the week until, finally, he couldn’t hold down a job.

At his lowest point he was drinking methylated spirits, was hospitalised three times in one week, was listed as a missing person and tried to kill himself by running into raging waters off Tamarama Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs during a storm.

"I was just a mess," he said. "That’s the disregard I had for my life. I couldn’t even remember why I was drinking anymore."

There is much of his life Matt doesn’t remember, but he does remember walking into The Salvation Army’s Alf Dawkins Detoxification Unit in Sydney and feeling a deep sense relief.

"I just knew I was going on a journey with people who knew what they were doing. I surrendered my own will over to the Salvos because that’s what they do - they help people."

Completing The Salvation Army’s Bridge Program for drug and alcohol rehabilitation gave him the opportunity to reassess his life, understand how his addiction had taken hold of him and learn how deal with it in a positive way.

Matt continues to receive support from the Salvos and wants to ‘give back’ to the community by helping to raise awareness about addiction. Road2recovery was one way to do this.

During their bike riding adventure, the men talked to a couple of thousand year 10 and 11 students from 17 schools.

"The stories they tell are very compelling," Mark says.

"They take away the misconceptions that many young people have because of the media or films that glamorise drug and alcohol use. By telling these kids how damaging a life of drugs and alcohol really is, they have a message that may save their lives."

The youngest rider was 19, with Mark - in his mid 50s - the elder statesman of the group ("Got to show the young people what to do," he quips.)

They started training with a few bikes between them but, with no funds to buy more, Mark says they "rescued" a few that had been dumped at a nearby recycling facility and were fortunate to have a couple more donated by local police.

"These bikes weren’t suitable to do the actual ride with, but they were enough to get us started," Mark says. "We did some fundraising, and with help from a local bike store, we bought four more bikes."

Under the careful eye of one of the centre’s participants, who has sport and fitness qualifications, they launched into a training regime in the four months leading up to the ride.

A support crew of 10 travelled with the peloton, setting up camp for the weary cyclists in caravan parks and a national park along the route.

For Mark, the most rewarding aspect of his work is "watching the guys come alive again" as they progress in their recovery. He saw that happen during the gruelling 1,000 km ride and the way the riders shared their stories with teenagers along their route.

"The guys come to us at a really low ebb in their life, with not much energy or life in them," he says.

"But you see the change come over them in the months they are here; you see the life and a sense of worth coming back into them. They start to look healthier, think more clearly and you see a real spiritual growth in them.

"When they get into recovery, they want to give back something, because they know how much they have taken from the community. A lot of them have said, 'If I can save one kid through this, then the ride has been worthwhile."’

Along with creating awareness, rode2recovery is accepting donations that will go towards The Salvation Army's Recovery Services. To donate, visit www.everydayhero.com.au/rode2recovery. Watch their clip on www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1jbR2b9jrE

This article was first published in the Salvation Army magazine, Warcry.