Running for road safety

IN AN effort to raise awareness and funds for Amber Community, Alex Prestley and Chris May have run 200km around Port Phillip Bay in only three days.

Setting off from Albert Park on April 27, the pair made their way into Geelong, down the Bellarine to Queenscliff where they caught the ferry, and ran from Sorrento back to Melbourne on April 29.

Amber Community, formally Road Trauma Support Services Victoria, is a support service for road trauma and advocate for road safety.

Mr Prestley said raising awareness for Amber Community was something close to both of them in their personal and professional lives with him working for Victoria Police and Mr May in Fire Rescue.

“It’s something that we’re both very passionate about and really wanting to set our minds to help lower the road toll and to help improve driver behaviour and attitude,” Mr Prestley said.

Completing the run did come with its challenges. Mr Prestley had an illness on the second day, while Mr May injured his knee and was restricted with what he could do.

Supported by family members and friends, who helped cover some of the kilometres, they were able to push over the finish line.

The Port Phillip Bay run isn’t the first long distance event Mr Prestley has completed for road safety advocacy, raising funds for Amber Community by running from Melbourne to Mildura.

“It’s not just a one off, not just a thing that we do and that’s it, this is who we are and what we are seriously passionate about,” he said.

“I’ve been passionate about road safety for as long as I can remember and unfortunately having my brother subjected to road trauma, losing his life to what we’re advocating for, it drives it even further.

“It’s a personal goal and also a goal for other people, so they don’t have to suffer like we have as a family, like my brother did.

“There are thousands upon thousands of people every year where the knock-on effect is felt from road trauma where it’s a little bit desensitised, but it’s still a life that’s lost and it’s a life that is lost that doesn’t need to be.”

The Amber Community is running its fundraising and road safety awareness campaign for the entire month of May.

For more information, or to get involved, head to getinvolved.ambercommunity.org.au