Feature / F U N D R A I S I N G
HRIVING
B
TOWARDS
LUFF
A desire for a CHALLENGE and PERSONAL GROWTH was the catalyst that raised approximately $5,000 for Coeliac New Zealand.
not just surviving. That was the plan to take on Tour Aotearoa a cycle tour from Cape Reinga to Bluff on cycle trails, tracks, beaches, and roads. I was needing something to look forward to and essentially a break from surviving. I think I am something called an active relaxer. Sitting on a beach or a deck doesn’t work for me. I needed a chance to step out of work and for that matter the sense of confinement and limitation that the COVID-19 lock downs have brought. My friend Andrew surprised me with a phone call – and perhaps an answer. Was I up for Tour Aotearoa? I didn’t hesitate and I didn’t think about. I was unfit, had no bike, no gear, no time, and no experience on a mountain bike. Add to the mix lock downs and supply issues – and oh yeah, I have coeliac disease! Yes, I was keen. Back to my diagnosis I was biopsy diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2007 after a seven year long medical focus on adventure traveller type afflictions finally wore out. Think Montezuma’s revenge and about every cold and flu going. I was later found to be anaemic and that spurred bowel investigation and diagnosis. A brief period of denial was followed by substantial general health improvements. But it felt like a tap had
been turned off. Lucky, I got my health back, not so lucky that I had lost a sense of everyday freedom. I did not really want to be, you know, that person who had to think and act differently – but then coeliac disease gave me no choice. A real pleasure in life for me had been to try any food anywhere, with anyone and anytime. I was not aware how central food and drink were to my sociability. A beer and chips, that was freedom – and I was going to miss it. Motivated to make a change Things are better now than in 2007. I can find a great GF Beer, and there is the Dining Out Programme (DOP). I am into that! You can go to a restaurant and feel safe, and there are chips, at least the Attic Bar and Restaurant in Mission Bay, Auckland where staff are DOP trained and the kitchens are independently audited to be coeliac safe. There are not many DOP accredited places yet, but I hope that this cycle will help raise awareness about the challenges of living coeliac safe and gluten free for life; and CNZ are right behind me on that. I am not ready to give up eating out and trying new cuisines. Although I have the good fortune that friends and family let me choose the venue, I do sometimes fear restaurants and limit dining away from home to just a few that I have come to trust. I have a supportive partner who insists that we keep our kitchen fully gluten free – which is my freedom zone. A mess can be made, and no one gets
hurt. I am relieved that gluten is not a topic of discussion because there isn’t any. So, getting back to the cycle ride and fundraising for a cause. When it comes to social media, I am a novice. So, it’s been a challenge to profile myself and the ride – and in fact my first and second ever posts were on LinkedIn and Facebook. However, as a long-term supporter of CNZ, and having contributed on the Board for numerous years, using this opportunity to fundraise for CNZ was a no brainer. I want to continue to raise awareness about coeliac disease and help make life better and safer for everyone affected. I would also like to use this opportunity to promote the DOP and encourage others to do the same. I am committed to do this ride, and CNZ has got right behind it and Andrew did too, although not himself a coeliac. Andrew, well he’s an enthusiast who likes an adventure and a challenge and likes helping others like us too. As it has turned out, adding the fundand profile-raising element to the journey has taken what seemed to be a relatively solitary pursuit of cycling, to being social. It has been great working with my CNZ colleagues on the project and some of the responses coming through have been inspiring. I am heartened that other people will get onto their bikes along the tour and fundraise alongside us, and perhaps try cycling for the first time – or just be enthused about the adventure like my dad. I have spent time right out of my comfort zone and that has been the best thing of all. CL ____
Donations can be made to CNZ via givealittle.co.nz/event/gfforlife-bikeaotearoa-2021
Max and Andrew take on Tour Aotearoa.
12 | Autumn 2022 Coeliac Link
The fund- and profile-raising element to the journey has taken what seemed to be a relatively solitary pursuit of cycling, to being social. coeliac.org.nz | 13
