diary

This diary entry was written at an altitude of 38,000 feet. After a final frantic week of preparations and saying goodbyes, Paddy and I somehow made it to the airport with about 200kg of equipment divided into 18 pieces of baggage – including three bikes which had only arrived at 4pm the day before! We’re excited and I am very pleased to have pulled everything together. Organising Breaking the Cycle has been the most complex and difficult project I have ever managed. Researching and designing the concept, route and storyline, this project has been four years in the planning, with 18 months of  “full-on” organisation (while keeping a full time job).

I’ve only just managed to pull together the “bare bones” $200K  budget thanks to the support of 30 sponsors and many private contributors. We have the backing of a number of partner organisations who are allowing us to explore the issues associated with extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa to a meaningful depth. I encourage you to support these organisations (see Partners’ section of this website).

The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development have done an amazing job creating this innovative e-learning education programme, customised and practical for the BTC project. It’s now ready to go and I hope schools throughout Australia and beyond will get involved. The platform is there for teachers around the world to communicate their ideas and share resources so reinforce what is being learned.

While I have been driving BTC so many other have embraced the project; many have contributed big time and their belief has really spurred me on. Robert Swan has not only been responsible for connecting me to many of the major sponsors, but has also been working tirelessly with Tamara, my publicist to give a number of motivational lectures to raise funds.

The logistics for creating the documentary are complex. Paddy has done an incredible job researching and sourcing all the AV and storage equipment to ensure we can capture quality material to make a great documentary series.

And lastly I know I have a great team…Daniel (cyclist), John (driver) and Paddy (cameraman). We all have different strengths, skills and experience to contribute, but we all have a common goal. John has been involved since last November, Daniel since April and Paddy came on board in the last three months. When we touch down in a few hours, we’ll meet Dan for the first time. John we will meet next week. And so the adventure begins! We are so excited.

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Just four more sleeps before Paddy and I set off for the UK. Well maybe there won’t be that much sleep going on, but it is all coming together. Some new sponsors have come on board in the last couple of weeks with the promise of a few more to ease the considerable pressure. Ericsson, Bassari Resources, Mineral Deposits and some generous private sponsors are all making a big difference; Allegro Bikes and Schwalbe have provided equipment. We’ve now bought all our camera equipment and Vladimir at Cycleworks WILL have our bikes ready by Tuesday!…..Please check out the latest podcast too. This is just an introduction, but every few days during the journey, I will be calling up on my satellite phone to make a recording which you will be able to access from the right hand column. This will be a great way to keep in touch with what’s going on. Even better, if you subscribe to the RSS feed, you will receive an email every time this blog or the podcast is updated.

Since my last blog we’ve been back to Western Australia to say goodbye to my parents and family. Always difficult, but they do understand how amazing and important the expedition will be. Paddy and I were also at the Excellence in Mining and Exploration Conference in Sydney last week. This was partly to honour the many supporters we have from the industry already and also to find more sponsors and supporters. Much interest was created and more sponsorship is being negotiated.

There is still a scarey amount to tie up in the last few days – when you are going to be away for the best part of a year there are a lot of bits and pieces to sort out. Fortunately we have some great friends who are helping us out.

The education programme is fantastic. The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development have created something very special. This is a great opportunity for teachers and their classes throughout Victoria, Australia and globally to get involved. The more people put in to it, the more they will learn and benefit. I wish I’d had the chance to to learn this kind of thing when I was at school.   

I’m looking forward to meeting the other half of the team. I have been communicating regularly with John and Daniel for almost a year now, but we have never met in person. We’ll also meet John’s mate Simon who is the back up driver. It’s amazing to think that four very different people, who are virtually strangers but who each have this common purpose and goal are going to spend 10 months together to pull this off. We won’t be strangers for long!

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Nando’s has just come on board as the principle sponsor of Breaking the Cycle, so we are now officially POWERED BY PERI PERI. The generous Nando’s package not only includes a timely cash injection, but also valuable logistical and promotional support meaning the expedition will run more smoothly with more people following our progress. The other big news is that the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has almost completed their exciting new, innovative education programme which you can now access from the For Schools section of this site……….(Please click on the icons adjacent to see the two minute promotional video, route map and photos)

In less than one month Kate and Paddy will leave for the UK where they will spend two weeks meeting Daniel and John for the first time. The team will make all the final preparations from the UK as well as do some promotional work before heading for Senegal. Kate and Daniel are due to start pedalling on 21st October. John will drive down to St Louis, Senegal where he will meet the team, after they’ve done their first 250km stretch up from Dakar.

There’s an awful lot to do before then to pull this expedition together. We still need further funding and there’s key equipment to find and fine tune. There are a lot of balls still in the air and I am confident we’ll catch the main ones in time.  

During all this, I am popping back to Western Australia to see my family, then we’ve got the Excellence in Mining and Exploration Conference in Sydney on 21st and 22nd September where I will speak.

We’re getting there!

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With just over two months to go before the team sets off for Dakar, the many different facets of organising this project are coming together well. But there is still sooo much to do – logistics, sponsorship, partner organisations, publicity, education programme, documentary, organising equipment and communications, fitness and health, website…and trying to get some sleep!   The start date may have been put back a couple of weeks (the vehicle won’t be ready for the start of October), but this will give us much needed extra time to be better prepared. We’ve made some exciting new contacts which are going to further enrich the story we plan to create and help with security in some regions. Sponsors are coming on board, however due to a few extra costs, we are still approximately $30K short. The main outstanding items required / costs to be covered are: communications, flights and freight, insurance and camera equipment. Please click on the icons to view the promotional video and route plan.

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An audience of almost 200 people were treated to a very special presentation by Robert Swan, OBE  last Monday 13th July. The fundraiser for Breaking the Cycle was held at the BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne. Dr. Kate Auty, the new Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability introduced Kate and Robert. Kate spoke first about Breaking the Cycle, how the idea evolved, the purposes of the project and expedition plan. Then Robert, one of the world’s leading motivational speakers left the audience spellbound as he skilfully articulated his amazing story; leading successful expeditions to both the North and South Poles and his visionary work for the environment.  Robert presented in a manner which was inspiring; his messages tangible to listeners – and funny. Underlying this story of passion, commitment and perseverence is the notion that we all have the ability and to make a difference; to bring about positive change. 

On the night we made a profit of $4500 and donations (which are tax deductible) are still being received. Collectively these contributions are making substantial inroads into the $35K still required to allow the Breaking the Cycle Expedition to reach its full potential.

For further information please click here: Fundraiser_flyer2.1

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Check out the new promotional video for the Breaking the Cycle Expedition…Here’s the latest newspaper article in the West Australian (12th June).West Australian, 12th June…And finally, click here for details of Robert Swan’s LEADERSHIP ON THE EDGE, a fundraising presentation for Breaking the Cycle to be held in Federation Square, Melbourne, 13th July. Fundraiser_flyer2.1 To book: lizzieb@hotkey.net.au

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