February 5, 2014
Every day youth worker Michael Sanford, 25, hops onto his bike and pedals the 40km or so to work in Kingaroy from Maidenwell. And then in the afternoons, it’s the same … another 40km of punishing hills to get home.
Why? Michael has epilepsy. He had his first seizure at the age of six months. During one bad period of his life, he had 52 seizures in just 24 hours.
His seizures have taken all forms – grand mal, petit mal, absence seizures – but these days, his epilepsy is controlled by medication and he is seizure-free. He considers himself very lucky.
So lucky, in fact, that he wanted to do something to support all the other people who still have seizures.
About this time last year – just before the annual Purple Day which aims to raise awareness of epilepsy – Michael had an idea.
“I had spent so many years being angry about being an epileptic – I spent my 21st birthday in hospital after having a seizure – that I wanted to turn that fear and anger into something positive,” he said.
He decided to get a pushbike – the only mode of transport available to many people with epilepsy – and started riding, and riding, and riding …
“I took up cycling when I decided I was going to make a difference in other people’s worlds,” he said.
He also started training, completing a ride hundreds of kilometres long around Gympie and a 280km trek in Tasmania.
Michael is now ready for his big fundraising effort, a three-day ride around the borders of the South Burnett to raise funds for Epilepsy Action Australia.
The ride will start at the Kingaroy Youth Park on March 24 and return to Kingaroy on Purple Day (March 26).
Along the way he will pedal to Kumbia, Ellesmere, Brooklands, Pimpimbudgee, Maidenwell, Blackbutt, Yarraman, Nanango, Goomeri, Murgon and Wondai before heading back to Kingaroy.
He will be accompanied along the way by other riders who have volunteered to ride parts of the course with him.
People who would like to support Michael and help him raise money have several options:
Donations can be made on Michael’s Everyday Hero web page where tax-deductible receipts will be issued.
Workers at CTC South Burnett’s CROSB program have also organised a lamington drive to help. (Download the Lamington Drive order form 391kb PDF)
And then there is the Charity Night at Kingaroy Town Hall which will be held on Saturday, March 29.
Tickets are $30 each (or $500 for two tables of 10 people). This will include a three-course meal and live music by local singer Lloyd Back. A licensed bar will be operating and there’ll also be a trivia competition and silent auction.
A highlight of the night will be the auction of Michael’s trusty pushbike which has been donated to him for the fundraising ride by Reid Cycles.
Tickets for the Charity Night can be booked by phoning Kiaya Armstrong on 0401-616-920.
Michael said there were a few people he wanted to especially thank for their help in the lead-up to the ride, including his wife Karli (“she’s my rock”).
The couple has been married for four years in May and have two children, a two-year-old boy and a four-week-old girl.
Michael grew up in Tasmania, although most of his family are in NSW – he’s a proud Wiradjuri man – while his wife is from North Queensland. They moved to the South Burnett in 2007 after falling in love with the area.
He would also like to thank his employer, South Burnett CTC (and especially CEO Nina Temperton), Reid Cycles, and the Burrum District Active Riders, a horse-riding club that he and his wife belong to who have also been helping with fundraising.
