Portarlington club backs epic ride for MS awareness

THE Portarlington Football Netball Club has joined the growing number of local businesses, groups and organisations to throw their support behind a fellow resident’s mission to raise $100,000 for multiple sclerosis (MS) research.

At its annual Ladies Day, held earlier this month, the club raised $9,000 in support of disability advocate Clare Reilly, who in April, will take on Western Australia’s Munda Biddi Trail, becoming the first person to complete the world’s longest off-road cycling trail in a powered off-road wheelchair.

Reilly, who was diagnosed with MS in 2017, said it was an honour to have been chosen as the club’s fundraising recipient.

“I set myself an outrageous goal, and there are definitely moments where I wonder how I’ll pull it off, but then a day like Ladies Day at Portarlington FNC comes along.

“The generosity, atmosphere and support blew me away. I left feeling so grateful and deeply backed by my community.”

In the lead-up to the more than 1,000km trek, Reilly needs to raise close to $50,000 to cover the costs of the expedition, including travel and accommodation for her husband Jay, 11-year-old son Elliot and her parents, who will provide road support along the way.

She is now $15,000 closer to that goal, with the funds raised through the Portarlington FNC enabling Reilly to pay off the cost of the off-road wheelchair that will allow her to complete the trail.

Once Reilly’s travel expenses are covered, she will turn her attention to her $100,000 target, with any unused funds set aside for travel expenses to also be put toward the fundraiser.

“We’re incredibly proud to support Clare’s mission,” a PFNC spokesperson said.

“Her determination and advocacy resonate deeply with our club’s values of inclusivity and community engagement.”

Raising awareness for the 33,000 Australians living with MS, as well as encouraging others living

with disability to share their own stories, remains central to Reilly’s mission.

“We don’t talk about disability, but particularly MS, quite so publicly, and I think…having someone be loud about it gives other people the opportunity to also share their story, that maybe they hadn’t otherwise.

“I would really love to get as many people [as possible] talking about multiple sclerosis, not even just the research side of it, but just awareness of disability and how it looks different for everyone.

“People keep asking me what they can do to help, and obviously donating is amazing, but also just sharing the story with someone else [helps], because what I find is that it might not be the person that I talk to who it resonates with, but it might be the person they talk to.”

Reilly is now preparing to host a trivia night fundraiser in October.

For more information, head to wheelchairmeetswilderness.org, or to support Ms Reilly’s fundraising campaign, head to mycause.com.au/p/360402