Hawaiian Ride for Youth Welcome Home Ceremony

It’s only a few weeks until the Hawaiian Ride for Youth gets underway, and our riders have put in an enormous effort over the summer with training, time trials and fundraising. The Welcome Home Ceremony is our opportunity to celebrate their achievement and show our appreciation for their dedication to raising funds and awareness for Youth Focus and youth mental health.

By the time the riders finish their journey from Albany to Perth, they will have collectively cycled approximately one million kilometres over the 6 months training and ride week – the equivalent of riding to the moon and back, and then some! Training and ride week are both physically and mentally demanding, and each rider takes on the challenge to give back to the community and support young people across the State.

Throughout this year’s training, we’ve spoke with riders who all reflect the importance of community commitment and ensuring young people have a safe space to turn to when things feel tough.

“For me, the Ride is about giving young people a voice and a safe space to go to before things reach crisis point. It’s about reminding young people that they’re not alone and helping them understand that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Mental health shouldn’t be something dealt with in silence, and strong community support can make a huge difference in helping people feel seen, heard, and supported,” shared Nathan Mortimer, Team Hawaiian.

“The ride has an incredible community. You start as a group of riders, but very quickly it feels like a family. It reinforces how powerful and important teamwork is – whether on the bike, at work, or in everyday life, you’re always stronger when you support each other.“