Story#6 - Roberto
Roberto, 44 years old, Pordenone (Italy)
As this post goes live, Roberto is starting is a personal journey of hope. He will cycle alone, to cover approximately 800 km in a few days from Pordenone (25 mamsl) to "Passo Dello Stelvio" (2758 mamsl), through 7 mountain peaks.
"The bike saved me. Back in June, following a depressive stage illness and a tough year during the COVID pandemic, I stayed at the hospital for three days. Next to me there were young people with serious health issues, nothing to compare with my situation. These people were lost and are fighting for a future, together with their family".
I will do this
"I was in bad thinking: I can't throw away a so precious gift, my life, and allow that external factors can influence and ruin my life.
He wanted to do something to take back the control of his life and, at the same time, help these young people met at the hospital.
He decided to do a solo tour. Nothing new until here, but with a mix of challenge and madness, to raise the visibility of his profound motivation.
He picked up the "Stelvio" as a destination, which Roberto reached already few times on a bike. He knows the way, and he knows how difficult it is to climb it. But for this occasion, Roberto wants to make it on a bicycle, and in few days. He bought a new Bianchi and trained for a month, covering 1500 km in few weeks, in all conditions: early morning, late evening, night, and hot temperature.
During his tour, Roberto will not have any technical support nor a hotel (not even an hostel). He will rely on micro-sleeps along the way, following the practice of 'ultra-cycling', a long-distance race, where cyclists continuously cycle on average for 36 hours.
It is a very demanding journey, where he will need to overcome several challenges: hunger, sleep, loneliness, weather conditions and the much more difficult mental and psychological pressure of the journey.
To better prepare, he reached out to cyclists who have already done similar experiences: "Be prepared, it is very hard. Focus on your willingness and your motivation: it is the only way, especially if you are without any backup support".
Roberto decided to link his experience to a fundraising activity to support the work of the National Cancer Institute CRO Aviano (Pordenone, Italy), a major health research center and a highly specialized hospital in the oncology sector, particular for young people ("Area Giovani").
Local TV invited me to share the reasons of my tours, but I expected local press to give more attention. Never mind, I am not doing for me. I even declined sponsorship offers from local enterprises, and have invited them rather to turn their proposals to the fundraising part of my experience. Children in the hospital needs more than me".
"When in hospital, I realized that many people experienced lockdown before us, before COVID. They couldn't go out, and they couldn't see people that often. They lived apart."
The few days at the hospital and the direct proximities with the stories of these people in intense therapy treatment was a life-changing experience for Roberto.
"I realised I was too focused on me. Complaining about some of the banalest consequences deriving from lockdown (the spritz with friends; the time limitations; the 10 km limit distance), was a no-sense. Youth in therapy at CRO Aviano institute enjoy simple things. They carry powerful life lessons messages to all of us: they want to live and might lose their lives soon".
The tour starts today at 4:30 am, the exact time when this post blog is scheduled for publishing.
Roberto will bring just a few items on his slim pack-back: some changing clothes, a solar charging device for the phone, a couple of replacement air chambers, and few motivational objectives: a t-shirt with drawings by children in therapy at CRO Hospital.
“A 3-year old kid made this one, and usually these shirts are used to raise funds and to allow kids from the hospital to spend a holiday weekend in the mountains.”
Also for Michael
"This little medal belonged to Michael, another child in therapy at the hospital. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it, but I will also cycle to his memory. Michael will support me.".
"This little medal is also precious - It belonged to Michael, another child in therapy at the hospital. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it, but I will also cycle to his memory. Michael will support me."
You can help and support Roberto by buying ideally 1 Km of this trip at this address.
Good luck Roberto, this experience has already changed you. I hope that your message of hope will reach many people and inspire many more to focus on our lives, the most important gift we have.
About CRO Aviano
Fund collected by Roberto will support CRO- Avianbo. The National Cancer Institute CRO Aviano (Pordenone, Italy) is a major health research center and a highly specialized hospital in the oncology sector. The Institute works to improve public health by advancing medical knowledge, providing outstanding specialty medical care to patients, and preparing tomorrow's physicians, scientists and other health professionals in the field of oncology. It is a public, nonprofit institute operating under the authority of the Italian Health Ministry for the clinical & experimental research functions and shared in the governance by the Friuli Venezia Giulia region as for patient care.
Good luck, Roberto!
STORIES of HOPE. Simple stories of ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of future. I have been meeting incredible people, that transmit energy, passion, engagement. I talk to them and try to find their message of hope.
