A former elite soldier and combat medic is raising funds to buy and equip a “medicycle” to bring crucial medical relief to indigenous communities in far north Australia.
Rick Carey, 64, of the Snowy Mountains, recently completed a three-month, 25,000km fundraising trip through the Northern Territory on his Royal Enfield Classic 500 Pegasus.
He raised more than $8000 for soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Now he plans to return to far north indigenous communities each dry season on a specially equipped medical motorcycle to provide medical relief.
Gofundme
He’s calling the project Muriel the Medicycle and has launched a Gofundme campaign.
Motorbike Writer supports a lot of charity riders who raise money for good causes. Some critics suggest these riders are just using charity and crowdfunding to pay for their holiday.
However, Rick points out that he sold one of his favourite motorcycles, an original 1998 R1, to fund the first ride.
“I put out over $20,000 to fund my first trip,” the pensioner says.
“I was not going to be accused of using donations to fund the trip.
“I only managed to raise $8000 but I also raised a lot of awareness of PTSD as I’m a former suffer myself.”
Rick has seen combat at times while serving in the British Army and has worked with the Australian Special Forces.
Combat medic
As a combat medic, he is now keen to provide medical relief to the indigenous communities he visited on his first trip.
“I never planned to do this but I left the Northern Territory in tears,” he says.
“I couldn’t believe the conditions they were living in.
“I was totally shocked by the disease and injuries these people were living with and even more saddened by the fact they are Australia’s forgotten people with little in the way of aid or medicines to improve their 1700s living conditions.”
Good Samaritan
Rick says he is covered by the Good Samaritan laws.
“I’ll only be doing first aid, nothing radical. Just making people more comfortable.”
Rick hopes to raise $50,000 to buy a BMW F 850 GS and equip it with medical supplies.
“I need a decent off-road bike to handle the conditions that the Enfield couldn’t,” he says.
He plans to head north again in August 2019 and will document the trip to help educate the Australian public on the plight of remote indigenous communities.
“We can continue to ignore the fact Australian children are dying in our own country, or like me we can actually do something without being hamstrung by political agendas,” he says.
“It’s better to do a little good for a few people than nothing at all.”