CYCLIST Nick Locandro admits he feels a "bit daunted" on the eve of his next challenge, going off road on an unfamiliar trail in an ambitious time-frame and a little uncertain about access to supplies.
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His purpose is to get a taste of the unknown he knows can plague people living with dementia while he champions their cause for awareness and community inclusion.
Locandro will ride the Mawson Trail, about 1000 kilometres from the Flinders Ranges to Adelaide, alongside cycling buddies Jeremy Cowan and Jamie Huggett. They set out from Ballarat on Friday with a 12-hour car trip to their starting point.
This is the second Ride to Remember. Locandro rode home from Uluru with Huggett and Jarrod King last year in a tribute to Locandro's dad Sam, who died with early on-set dementia in 2017. Uluru was where the Locandros had their last family holiday with Sam.
"This time the challenge, linking in with dementia, is to step into their shoes for a minute in terms of the unknown," Locandro said.
"It's a physical and mental test, too."
WATCH a mini documentary of the first Ride to Remember, Uluru to Ballarat, below
Locandro said the physical toll the disease takes was too often overlooked from an awareness perspective.
His dad Sam was an active 54-year-old when diagnosed with early on-set dementia, which had an aggressive impact on him physically and mentally.
While the inaugural Ride to Remember was to fundraise in Sam's honour, what Locandro found during preparations prompted him to change direction. Locandro instead adopted a push for dementia inclusion and patience.
One year on, Locandro and fellow young dementia champions Meg Curnow and Brittany Rose are about to launch This Is Dementia, their not-for-profit charity to create dementia-friendly events for people living with the disease and their carers to connect.
READ MORE: This Is Dementia. Click on the photo below to follow Brittany, Nick and Meg's story
Locandro, Cowan and Huggett will arrive home in Ballarat next Friday, the same day of the This Is Dementia launch at Housey Housey.
The charity's work is gathering momentum.
AFL Brownlow medallist Sam Mitchell will be guest speaker at the launch, speaking from personal family experience of the disease. Showbiz Cinemas in in talks with This Is Dementia to host a movie night for people with dementia and their carers.
Global vitamin giant Blackmores is sponsoring this year's ride in a $10,000 boost.
Locandro said even though the charity was in its infancy, such recognition from significant parties highlighted a societal change in attitude and recognition to the disease - the second leading cause of death in Australia.
"It feels like we're on the right track," Locandro said. "Our first lunch at The Western had 25 people, which is so positive and really reinforced there is a need for activities like that."
Funds raised from this year's ride will also support respite activities at Ballarat Health Services Eyres House for people with younger on-set dementia.
To follow A Ride to Remember visit the fundraising page or daily ride updates via This Is Dementia's Facebook page.
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