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There’s a long and winding road ahead for two Hibiscus Coast cyclists and a companion who set out next week on a 1000km mission to spread the message It’s OK to not be OK.
The It’s OK Ride will take Waitemata Police Constables James Cox and Cameron Macdonald, Cam’s firefighter father Craig and a support vehicle across the North Island, from Cape Egmont to East Cape.
They start this Friday March 25 and will finish on April 8, and plan to stop at police, fire and ambulance stations en route. Other cyclists will be welcome to join them for a stretch along the way.
The ride is to raise awareness of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among emergency responders, and encourage conversations where people might otherwise bottle up hurt arising from their job.
They are also raising funds for Te Kiwi Māia (The Courageous Kiwi), a charity which provides rehabilitation, recovery and respite to emergency and defence personnel with physical or psychological injuries arising from their role.
The trio have their own reasons for making the ride. James was a wing mate of Constable Matthew Hunt and the trauma of Matt’s murder in 2020 was on his mind when the idea formed.
He grew up in a police environment – his father Phillip is a senior sergeant in Auckland – and says he has seen the tendency among staff to be staunch.
“Most of us have been there but you must never feel you’re on your own,” he says. “We’re a team and we need to share and work as a team. My aim is to start that conversation – it’s OK to cry and to say what you’re feeling.”
Cam, a volunteer firefighter at Manly for four years before joining the police in 2020, says mental health has long been an interest.
In his short time with the police he has faced confronting situations, including being among the first uniformed officers on the scene after the LynnMall terror attack.
“I’ve been part of some pretty horrific incidents, with fire and now with police,” he says. “I’m really big on making sure there are avenues where people can get help.”
Craig is also a volunteer firefighter at Manly, as well as the director of health and safety consultancy All About People. He says he called on FENZ support services when he ‘hit the wall’ after a bad run.
“It made me realise I wasn’t bullet proof,” he says. “The ride for me is encouraging others that it’s OK to speak up and get help – it does make a difference.”
The ride follows the Kōpiko Aotearoa trail – 1060km across the widest part of New Zealand.
It passes through some amazing parts of Central, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Eastern Districts such as the Forgotten World Highway and Lake Waikaremoana – and the riders plan to post daily updates on their It’s OK Facebook and Instagram pages.
They will have a SPOT tracker so well wishers can follow their progress.
Craig says they are grateful to a raft of supporters and their commercial sponsors: EVO Cycles, TradeMutt Clothing, Shredder Racks and All About People.
