Three young Australians who have just started the Expedition Quad Squad, a 12-month journey through 34 countries across three continents, are attempting raise funds to fight poverty around the world.
Kristopher Davant, 26, Jamie Kenyon and Valerio de Simoni, both 24, set off in their all-terrain vehicles, or quad bikes, on a 50,000-kilometer journey through Europe, Africa and Australia, departing Tuesday from Beylerbey Palace on the Asian side of Istanbul.
“We thought to start our journey by crossing the fantastic Bosphorus bridge to the European side,” said De Simoni, adding that this carried a symbolic meaning as their journey would start and finish by crossing the Bosphorus and Sydney Harbour bridges, from Europe, back to their homeland, Australia.
The three young men are also attempting to break a world record by riding a quad bike 50,000 kilometers across three continents in order to raise awareness and money for global poverty.
“We discussed many causes and chose this one because eradicating poverty and hunger is the number one goal among the U.N.’s Millennium Development goals,” said De Simoni, adding that right now one in every six people around the world live on less than one dollar a day, which they want to change by donating money they collect during their 365-day journey. “Just wanted to start with this cause,” he said.
Kenyon also said all three of them were brought up in Sydney, in good circumstances, but this was not the case for many people around the world. “You are given this [birthplace] and cannot make a choice,” he said, adding that they wanted to try to help change the fate of people who were poor by circumstance.
The Consul General of Australia, Geoffrey Rea, who was present at the press conference where the expedition was launched, said supporting such activities as the expedition was essential for increasing awareness about the present global challenges and meeting the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs. “Trying to keep people interested is the main aim of the MDGs,” Rea said, adding that recent food and financial crises were a threat to everyone in the world. Consequently, not only U.S., but also individuals, had to be sensitive to such issues and contribute to their solution.
The young men said they had done a lot of planning before setting off on the journey and that they were really excited, although they were aware of the fact that they might face serious risks during the expedition. “Physical endurance is one of the major risks we might face,” said De Simoni, adding that it was important for them to remain fit in order to make sure they could endure the whole trip. Traffic accidents and cultural differences in the countries they are visiting were among other risks they mentioned.
After returning to Australia, the three young men also plan to write a book and make a documentary about their trip. Apart from a hand camera, they also have small cameras installed on their helmets for recording video and taking photos they intend to use to document their expedition.
