Some opportunities sound exciting. Others simply matter. Becoming an ambassador for Ronald McDonald House Northern NSW falls firmly into the second category.

I am proud to support an organisation that gives families something they desperately need when a child is seriously ill or injured, the chance to stay together.

As a mum, it is difficult to imagine anything more important than being beside your child when they need you most.

For many families across Northern NSW, specialist care means travelling hours from home and leaving behind work, school and their support networks.

Ronald McDonald House helps ease that pressure by providing accommodation and practical support close to hospital care.

That is why my first order of duty was to support the Ride for Sick Kids.

The official ride covers 520 kilometres from Glen Innes to Newcastle over five days. While I cannot join the riders on the road, I still wanted to take on a challenge that reflected their commitment.

So, throughout August, I have committed to riding double the distance, some 1,040 kilometres, on a spin bike.

Let me be clear, that is a very long way.It will mean early mornings, tired legs and more time on a spin bike than I ever imagined.

I’ll even clock up some kilometres live during the Nic and Joel breakfast show, with a bike set up in the NEWFM studio thanks to Urth Fitness.

When it feels tough, I will think about the parents beside hospital beds, the siblings whose lives have been turned upside down and the families hundreds of kilometres from home.

Suddenly, another session on the bike feels very small.

My ambassador role is about helping more people understand the amazing work Ronald McDonald House does and encouraging our community to get behind it.

It is also about using Newcastle Weekly, Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle, Supply Media and NEWFM to share the stories of the families, volunteers, staff and supporters who make that work possible.

Every ride will remind me that families should never face a child’s illness alone. Even when my legs suggest otherwise.

If you would like to donate to ride for sick kids, I’d love your support https://support.ronaldmcdonaldhousennsw.org.au/fundraisers/NicSomerville/

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