Philip Coldwell cycled just over 1,000km in eight days as part of the 2018 Future2 Wheel Classic ride from Canberra to Sydney. He talks about his motivation for doing so.

1. What motivated you to participate in the 2018 Future2 Wheel Classic?

My employer, Netwealth, is a sponsor of the event. As a result, the opportunity came up for a person in our business to participate as a sponsor’s representative. As I am a keen cyclist and love to support a cause that contributes value to our society, I didn’t hesitate in volunteering.

2. What was the most challenging aspect of undertaking the Wheel Classic ride?

The main personal challenge was putting aside the time from a busy life to focus on the event. The riding was solid and at times required perseverance to get through the day. But as Future2 Event Co-ordinator, David Eck frequently pointed out to us, there are young people out there facing much tougher challenges in their days – and not by choice.

3. What were some of the highlights (and lowlights) of participating in the Wheel Classic?

The absolute highlight was the camaraderie and team-work. People working together to get through.  And there were some really supportive leaders in the group.

There were a couple of blasting mountain descents that were awesome fun. And some big smiles at the bottom of the hills!

There were fines every day for misbehaviour and there were plenty of them. And then there were ill-prepared bikes, difficulty getting into clubs without ID (who doesn’t have a current driver’s licence these days?), plenty of practical jokes that cannot be repeated, and wrong turns by the leaders and support vehicles.

Not to mention the support crew’s ability to understate the distance to destinations and the size of the hills involved!

4. Was it difficult to fundraise for the Wheel Classic and how supportive were people towards your fundraising challenge?

Honestly, I was not good on the fundraising side of things. Because this initially came up as part of my job and Netwealth contributed to the cause through its sponsorship, I didn’t give the personal fundraising aspect due attention.

Having now been involved, seeing the efforts of the other cyclists and the commitment of the organisers to the cause, I intend to come back next year with a proper fundraising effort.

5. How important are fundraising initiatives, like the Future2 Wheel Classic?

Certainly, the commitment from the Future2 organisers and the acknowledgement from grant beneficiaries, underlines that the financial outcomes are real and meaningful for not-for-profit organisations and their respective causes.

Activities of this nature are very important in raising awareness of causes. Firstly amongst the participants and the people they touch, and secondly amongst the general public who encounter the event along the way and who are motivated to ask what it’s about.

I do believe the more people who get involved in these sort of events, the greater the awareness in our society of the need and benefits of causes, such as Future2.

Philip Coldwell is General Manager Product at Netwealth Investments.

Future2 Wheel Classic

The 2018 Future2 Wheel Classic ride followed an eight day route covering a distance of 993km, starting at Parliament House, Canberra, and finishing in Sydney.

Twenty cyclists participated in the ninth Future2 Wheel Classic, with grateful thanks to the event’s gold sponsor, MLC, and the supporting sponsors, Netwealth, IRESS and Pickles.

Stephen Ballinger CFP^® received the Jack Griffin Memorial Award for being the highest individual fundraiser. The IRESS team took out the Susan Grice Honorary Award for fundraising the most as a team, while Michael Carmody CFP^® received the Purple Pedal Award for his determination and achievement in completing the arduous ride.

Find out about the 2019 Wheel Classic from Melbourne’s Federation Square through the Daylesford Ranges and south to the Great Ocean Road. Visit future2foundation.org.au.