Bike ride helps break cycle of addiction
Eight participants of The Salvation Army ‘s Bridge Program are saying “no” to drugs and alcohol by taking part in the rode2recovery 1000km bike ride from 16-27 October.
Over 12 days of the ride, the men will also visit 16 high schools to share their stories of addiction with students and to raise awareness of the dangers of experimenting with drugs and alcohol.
“Most of the guys here who have been in our programs started using drugs or drinking at school age. They don’t want to see them [adolescents] go down the pathways they’ve gone down,” says Mark Gambrill, rode2recovery Coordinator and case worker at The Salvation Army’s Miracle Haven Recovery Services.
The bike ride will commence at Miracle Haven on the Central Coast of NSW, and travel through the Hunter, Upper Hunter, and New England districts before heading to Port Macquarie. The ride will finish at the Army’s Dooralong Transformation Centre.
Matthew Lynch is a graduate of the Bridge Program at Miracle Haven and will be riding with the group.
A former self-medicating addict to cope with his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Matthew says he would be dead if it wasn’t for The Salvation Army. After securing a job as a cameraman at a Sydney television station, his life quickly went downhill, culminating in losing his job and self-respect after too many party binges.
“I can’t remember exactly what happened,” he says. “One minute I was chasing Julia Gillard for work during the election campaign and the next thing I know I wake up, bent over a train.”
Reaching his lowest point having attempted to end his life, Matthew remembers walking into The Salvation Army’s Alf Dawkins Detoxification Unit in Sydney and experiencing a sense of 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.”
Graduating from Miracle Haven last year, Matthew says he is a completely different person and would now like to give back to the Salvos by raising awareness about addictions.
Matthew is just one example of how The Salvation Army's Bridge Program has saved lives. Along with creating awareness, rode2recovery is accepting donations that will go towards The Salvation Army's Recovery Services. To donate, visit everydayhero.com.au/rode2recovery.
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