Fifteen years ago, Leon Goltsman was suffering from arthritis which had left him bedridden and depressed. His saving grace was cycling.
"Cycling has actually saved my life because I was literally bedridden, and I felt debilitated, put a lot of weight on, and lost my motivation and even suffered depression," he says.
The Eastern Suburbs resident refused to give up and simply accept his situation.
"I thought if I'm going to suffer, I might as well suffer doing things I enjoy on my terms," he says.
"I bought a bike, and I did struggle to get used to it in the beginning, but I just started exercising and I started to get both my physical and mental health back."
"Cycling gave me a chance to focus. It gave me a chance to set goals and gave me a chance to breathe."
Riding for a good cause
Leon became motivated to do a long distance endurance ride to raise funds for a good cause.
"My first ride was to cycle from Bondi to Canberra, and at the time I was pretty unhealthy, but I was getting to the point where I had the confidence that I could do this, and I did," he says.
"I found that it actually made a difference. It inspired people to also look into their own challenges, and I got a lot of positive feedback and support, and I found that ride gave me a lot of confidence."
Since then, he has completed other long-distance rides to places like Canberra, Melbourne, and Queensland, all in the name of charity.
Leon had been set to ride to raise money for Cancer Council NSW last June and had even garnered support from local MPs and corporate sponsors. However, he was forced to postpone it due to COVID.
Joining Ride500
In September, Leon will finally have his chance to accomplish his mission when he participates in Cancer Council NSW's inaugural Ride500 challenge. The month-long event will see cyclists ride 500km to raise funds for cancer research.
"I'm going to try and double and triple it if I can," he says.
Fundraising for cancer research is a cause close to Leon as he's lost family members to the disease, including his mother.
"Cancer Council is really important to me because they know the issue better than anybody," he says.
"I believe what they're saying is making a difference, and I want to be part of that difference."
Leon says everyone who takes part in Ride500 gives hope to cancer patients and their families and shows that they're not alone.
"The more people that get involved, the greater benefit we're able to provide to more people affected by cancer," he says.
"Your effort is inspiring people more than you'll ever know."
