Eighty-eight cyclists from Lae have arrived in Port Moresby yesterday evening after 12 days of intense paddling and spreading the message of peace through their journey.
Team leader of Murawi Cycling Club, Max Ravu said they are now in Port Moresby and they will be carrying out awareness on peace round the city during the festive season.
“We have seen so many issues happening in the country from murder, rape, tribal fighting, stealing so we decided to paddle all the way here for peace,” Ravu said.
“We did awareness through the villages we came across for the whole of 12 days. We also encouraged people to take up cycling, it is healthy.”
He said their journey was a challenging one where they climbed mountains, crossed rivers and swampy wet lands to get to Port Moresby.
They also pushed for cycling to be recognized as a sporting code in the country for them to take part in.
Ravu also thanked Minister for Energy and Member for Kairuku district Peter Isoaimo who pledged K10, 000 to the team upon their arrival in Bereina over the weekend on their way to Port Moresby.
The cyclists were welcomed and fed at Bereina by the locals at the residence of Isoaimo where he did the pledge in recognition of not only their endurance and teamwork, but also their commitment to using sport as a platform to support a worthy peace.
Ravu said the support means so much to them and it will help them in the effort of spreading the message of peace.
“We decided to ride and declare peace and the donation means a lot to us,” Ravu said.
The team will spend the festive season away from their families in Port Moresby as they await their proposal to the Morobe Governor Rainbo Paita, Member for Lae, John Rosso and Huon Gulf Member Jason Peter.
Ravu expressed that they have “written to them,” their political leaders to help them back to Lae.
