Making a wheel difference - MWH employee Vaughan Pearce set to ride over 430 kilometres for a cause

While many of us in the Southern Hemisphere will be kicking back and soaking in the spring weather this September / October, Vaughan Pearce will be training for this year’s Zoo2Zoo ride. Head of the MWH Water Resources Team in Australia, Vaughan spends a significant amount of time out of work riding his bike, at times it is for fun and fitness, other times it is for a cause. To date, he has raised over AUD 50 000 for charity.

The Zoo2Zoo cycling event will this year feature three rides: the Canberra to Dubbo ride which took place on 11 to 13 March, a ride for mountain bikers from Canberra to Mogo on 17 to 18 September and the Sydney to Dubbo ride on 14 to 16 October, 2011. The course Vaughan will cycle, from Taronga Zoo in Sydney to Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, is a real challenge for long distance riders, covering over 430 kilometres in three days. While this distance may be daunting for some, for Vaughan it’s an almost weekly occurrence. In 2009 he had the opportunity to ride 250 km through Victoria’s Alpine Region with cycling great Phil Anderson, the first non-European to wear the famed yellow jersey of the Tour de France.

The event will again this year raise awareness and money for the Black Dog Institute, a not-for-profit, educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering specialist expertise in depression and bipolar disorder. Although the event began only five years ago, it has raised more than AUD 167 000 for various charities, including over AUD 80 000 for the Black Dog Institute in 2009 and 2010 combined.

“Every year, my mates and I participate in rides for charity, and the distance and cause behind Zoo2Zoo made it stand out for us - we had to sign up,” says Vaughan. “We are looking forward to the challenge of this three-day event. It’s a great opportunity to test our mental and physical strength, while raising money for a meaningful cause”.

Vaughan will also join 24 other MWH employees in the Fitz’s Challenge, another cycling event taking place on October 30 in Canberra, Australia. The Fitz’s Challenge will raise much needed funds for the Oncology Children’s Foundation (OCF).

For more information about the Zoo2Zoo ride, or the Fitz’s Challenge, contact Vaughan Pearce on vaughan.pearce@mwhglobal.com.

Pictured: Vaughan Pearce climbing Mount Buller in the High Country Cycle Challenge 2010