Michael Thompson became a Refugee Support trustee in mid-2022, after helping us set up the Dignity Centre in Chisinau, Moldova. His mandate was to help the charity grow, and since then he’s decided to take the matter into his own hands—or should we say legs!
Between March and the end of May, he’ll cycle the 3,200-km route from Adelaide to Brisbane, which involves over 27,700m of climbing, while also keeping up his day job as a managing director. What a hero.
“I chose Adelaide to Brisbane for a couple of reasons,” he explains. “It happens to be about the distance of the Tour de France. And I think it’s doable.” Michael’s never done anything like this before, but he has completed long-distance triathlons and an Ironman. The route also has a personal meaning—finishing up at Michael’s old primary school in North Brisbane, where he’ll raise a glass to a former classmate, Wayne, who sadly died of cancer recently.
Explaining the motivation for his endeavour, Michael says: “People are dying. The people in Syria have had 12 years of civil war, and now they’ve been hit by this earthquake. In Turkey, what little people had has also been destroyed. Through Refugee Support I’ve met people and heard stories of how hard life is as a refugee, for so many reasons, and it’s made me realise how lucky we are. Not everyone gets to enjoy the things we take for granted. So if I can do just a little bit to help them and fund the Dignity Market for a few months, then that’s a good thing to do.”
Right now, Michael’s in Melbourne—after a few ups and downs with the support vehicle. Follow his journey—including some spectacular scenery— on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Inspired? Head over to Michael’s JustGiving page to sponsor him and show your support.
