David Flanagan – Hawaiian Ride for Youth

ONE OFF THE WOOD: After chaining his bike outside The Roadhouse, Atlas Iron non-executive chairman David Flanagan entered the bar clad in the cyclists’ garb of lycra and wearing those annoying click-clack shoes, then ordered a coffee.

David, that hardly seems the proper attire befitting a corporate mover and shaker. Why are you dressed like that?

I’m in training, Wal so I can complete a 700 kilometre bike ride from Albany to Perth to raise money for a charity.

Sounds like a reasonable excuse. What is the ride called and who is it raising money for?

It is the Hawaiian Ride for Youth and all funds raised by the ride go to an organisation called Youth Focus, of which I have been a Board member for some years.

This year I am actually participating in the ride.

What is Youth Focus and what does it do?

A lot of people think it is akin to a crisis help line but it is different to that.

It’s actually about reaching kids who are at risk and teaching them to deal with challenging situations.

It’s about getting kids who may have attempted suicide, self-harm or are depressed and building a support network around them as well as communicating with schools and identifying those kids that may be in need of help.

The organisation provides support networks not only for kids, but also their families and it does so by going out into regions to do that.

How did you get involved with Youth Focus?

When I was first looking at getting involved with a charity I decided it would be one that dealt with an issue I deeply cared about.

You could almost say everybody has been affected in some way, either directly or indirectly by youth suicide.

We all have kids and they’re going to have kids and statistically, youth suicide is an issue that demands awareness and attention.

Money doesn’t buy happiness, but a little bit of money donated to Youth Focus can help a lot of kids realise how they can be happier and how families, and communities, can better support those kids.

Is the fact the ride covers a lot of regional WA an indication of where a lot of that support may be needed most?

As it turns out there is just as big a problem for young rural kids as there are for those based in the city.

Particularly for young blokes in the country – the statistics are woeful.

The cold reality is that there are nearly twice as many people killed by suicide each year as there are on the road.

So you haven’t done the ride before, how did they convince you to do it?

No I haven’t, and there is a bit of a story to tell – as there always is in these situations.

Last year was the tenth year of the Ride for Youth and being on the Youth Focus Board I went down to Albany for the start.

You have to appreciate, at this stage, I was not a cyclist and had never worn lycra and I didn’t really appreciate what it was these people were really doing.

The night before, we had all been at an event where I had got to know some of the riders a bit better.

The morning of the ride they found a spare bike and convinced me to put on some lycra and some riding kit and I rode with them for the first section from the hotel to a school.

I can’t really explain what happened but I immediately felt the camaraderie of the peloton.

It was as though I was really a part of this group, who all took off riding with the one purpose in mind – raising money for what they all believe to be a great cause.

As a first time rider and new to the sport, what does your training regime entail?

Apart from my introduction at the start of last year’s ride this is the first time I have ridden a bike and worn lycra.

So far I have ridden around 5,500 kilometres – at the moment I am riding 250 to 300 kilometres per week.

Do you find it to be a solitary activity?

No, not at all – It’s all about riding in a group and meeting some really good people.

There’s a constant reminder about riding safely as well as why we are all doing it – it’s not a race for any team to win, it’s all about raising money for a charity that does a wonderful job in centres all throughout the state.

Having said that – there is a healthy competitiveness amongst the teams as to who is going to raise the most money.

Do you have a target figure in mind that you want to raise?

Last year the total group targeted $1.2 million – and they raised over $2 million.  It would be great to meet that or go better.

For the Atlas Iron team – I would like to think that we could hit in excess of $150,000.

Do you view those pesky lycra brigades at cafes in the morning in a different light now?

Yes I do. When I first started riding I didn’t realise lycra doesn’t come in standard sizes. I pulled the zip up on my outfit but it had other ideas and just popped open.

I’ve still got another ten weeks to go before the ride and I have lost 13 kilos.

I’m the healthiest I’ve been since…I can’t remember.

Have you reached the stage where you have shaved your legs?

Not yet, but I have been told that if you go on the ride without having done it, not only will you be fined a hefty sum, you will also be ceremoniously held down on the bar of one of the pubs along the way and they will be waxed for you.

How can people not participating in the ride get involved?

The easiest way is via the http://www.rideforyouth.com.au web page, just follow the links and they can donate using their credit card.  It would be great if it could go via me and the Atlas team via http://www.rideforyouth.com.au/riders/atlas-iron-ltd/david-flanagan

There will also be plenty of fund raising events around town leading up to the ride so they can keep an eye out for any of those as well.