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| Ryan O’Keefe |
Now that the football season is over, Ryan O’Keefe is leading a team of nine cyclists including former teammate Jared Crouch and Swan’s footballer Matthew Nicks on a 12-day cycling trek. The trek of northern Vietnam will raise money for the Australia-based Oncology Children’s Foundation (OCF).
By pedaling 50-75km a day on the steep roads of the Northern Highlands starting near Ha Giang, they hope to raise AU$50,000. The money will help fight the aggressive types of cancers that kill 200 Australian kids a year.
Since the end of last season, Swans star and OCF ambassador, O’Keefe, has become a father, won the award for club’s best and fairest, and played his 200th game for the club.
‘’This trip is going to be like my own tour, seeing a beautiful new country from a bike,’’ said O’Keefe, who is along for the trip but can’t cycle because of an injury.
Last night was their third night on the road. The team including a Vietnamese cycling guide was in a town called Dong Van near the Chinese border after a grueling day of hill climbs.
It is the third time that OCF has organized charity rides for cancer research in Vietnam.
The CEO of OCF, Ross Lewis, said the reason they came back to Vietnam again for the charity ride was because people were so keen to come here. The scenery is absolutely spectacular, very high mountain peaks, deep river gorges. A camera doesn’t do it justice,” said Lewis who is also cycling.
“We can see Vietnamese tilling their land on all types of steep slopes. You’ve got to admire them and the way they take care of their land.
“No one on the ride has seen anything like it before,” he said.
In related news, Vietnam’s own Swans team, the Vietnam Swans head off next week to play football in the Asian AFL Championships in Shanghai, China.
Over 350 Australian football players working in Asian countries will meet in Shanghai to play in the 12 team tournament on Saturday Oct 16.
