Ride of a lifetime to help save lives

My daily ride is about to get a bit longer......As a parent of a premature baby whose initial journey into this world was pretty rough, we were blown away with the support that our whanau received while our child was being cared for. 5 years on, it seems timely to give back.

Exactly five years after my son Oscar came home after spending the first month of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, I’ll be attempting to ride my mountain bike the length of New Zealand in a month, to raise funds for The Neonatal Trust as part of the Tour Aotearoa.

Starting February 22, 2020 I'll be travelling under my own power, unsupported and self-sufficient, whereas during Oscar’s stay in hospital we had amazing support, from the NICU nurses and The Neonatal Trust. I’ll be starting my ride from Cape Reinga at midday on Saturday Feb 22, and hope to be in Bluff before noon on Otago Anniversary day, March 23.

The Neonatal Trust doesn't receive any government funding, relying entirely on the generosity of the donations they receive. The main objectives of the Trust are to support the families, provide equipment, professional development for staff, and to aid neonatal medical research. I’d love to be able to raise $1 for every kilometer I ride.

Huge thanks to everyone who has donated to my fundraising effort so far, it’s great to see so much generosity, and I really appreciate the words of encouragement too. If you want to support my project visit the Givealittle page here —Phil Champman