Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green has described a gruelling 250km charity bike ride as both the most difficult and most rewarding thing he has ever done.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Wilcannia Forbes bishop spent months preparing for the fundraiser ride, and put his training to the test as he cycled through the heart of Cambodia in hot, humid conditions.
The ride led the Bishop and 17 other cyclists from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh over 12 days in November to raise funds and awareness for the work of the Catholic Mission.
Bishop Columba is the liaison bishop for the Catholic Mission and the Ride to Reach Out gave him the opportunity to meet and work with some of the beneficiaries of its programs.
“It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done and the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” he said.
“It was fantastic because you went through the villages and got to talk to the locals.
“It was worth every pedal.”
A major stop for the Bishop and the charity ride was Battambang where the Mission runs a centre for landmine victims.
It was there that the Bishop met several people who were missing limbs or suffering injuries sustained by landmines.
One of the children who left a lasting impression on the Bishop had lost his sight, arms and legs to a landmine.
He was teaching himself to read braille with his nose.
The charity ride raised approximately $80,000 for programs supported by Catholic Mission with Bishop Columba raising more than $9,000 through events including a local trivia night.
Bishop Columba said the bike ride helped him to see the communities supported by Catholic Mission and where the money goes.
“The main focus is to help the youth who have been devastated by landmines, to give them a future, which helps the country,” he said.
Programs run by Catholic Mission aim to empower locals to support themselves and help other locals.
Bishop Columba said Catholic Mission is helping people in the long term through their programs.
“The money is used to train them and give them opportunities to give them a life for themselves,” he said.
The Bishop said he would like to go back to Cambodia as a general visitor or another charity cycle.
Our local bishop was one of four out of the 18 riders to complete the marathon pushbike ride.