National Volunteer Week - Morton gives back

Cycling Australia says thank you - National Volunteer Week 

As the country celebrates National Volunteer Week, Cycling Australia would like to thank all our wonderful volunteers who give their time to keep the wheels of our great sport turning across Australia.

The contributions and sacrifices of thousands of volunteers across our hundreds of clubs, events and the Australian Cycling Team, ensure our cyclists, participants and spectators can share in and enjoy our great sport. 

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2020 is “Changing Communities. Changing Lives” and it is clear that we have many unsung heroes who are doing just that across the country. 

In the Australian Cycling Team, Olympian Stephanie Morton has been making a difference through her volunteer work with the University of South Australia Invictus Pathways Program.

The Invictus Pathways Program is for current and past-serving veterans and emergency first responders who have physical, emotional and/or psychological conditions often suffered as a result of traumatic events. The aim of the program is to provide pathways for community reintegration, rehabilitation and recovery programs and to also provide goal setting, peer to peer activities and to support well-being.
 
The Program utilises sport and exercise to help those impacted achieve life goals and Morton jumped at the opportunity to become an ambassador in 2017 and has attended a number of training camps with athletes. 

“Having been a part of the Australian Para-cycling program from 2010-2012, I thought it was a great opportunity to pass on some of my experience and even learn a thing or two myself,” said Morton, a 2012 London Paralympic Games gold medallist as a Tandem Pilot. 
 
“These people have literally sacrificed their lives to keep ours safe, so being able to chat with them and even just be a small part of their journey is humbling. 

“We talk about everything from recovery to race day pressure, but I enjoy attending their events and functions where I hear them share their story or be recognised for their efforts at the Invictus Games.”

Morton is acutely aware of the privileges of being part of the Australian cycling team and she enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge she has gained from a decade of testing herself in international cycling competition. 
 
“As a member of the Australian Cycling Team, we are privileged to have specialists in almost every aspect of what we do, so it is great to be able to share that knowledge with the program athletes who are using exercise and elite competition to support their well-being and reintegration back into society,” said Morton, a 2019 team sprint world champion and four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist. 
 
“To be honest it doesn’t feel like “volunteering” or “mentoring”. The athletes are fantastic to talk to and I am sure I learn just as much from talking with them. I always look forward to going in and having a chat and also following them from home when they go off and compete at the Warrior Games or Invictus Games.”

​For Morton, her time volunteering with the program has taught her how powerful sport can be. 
 
“Sport is so much more than standing on a podium and holding a shiny medal. It’s about overcoming hardship, pushing a body that’s already at its limits and the real achievement is winning the battle against yourself,” said Morton. 
 
“Knowing you pushed yourself when it was hard, getting back up when you were knocked down and defining that as your success. 
 
“Sport provides so many opportunities to enhance our well-being. Whether it’s just clearing your mind and feeling the fresh air on your face, or the social aspect or the goal setting and seeing how far you can go, it has a place for everyone and it’s not just for gold medals.” 

As she continues to grow on and off the bike as she shares her time between cycling and volunteering, Morton believes everyone can make a difference in their communities through volunteering, no matter their role. 

“I think we all have something to offer,” encouraged Morton. “During these uncertain times, it has revealed what is truly important. Find your strength and ask yourself how you could make a difference in your community. 

“It can be as small or as big as you make it. It could be as small as helping an elderly neighbour with a weekly shop. It all adds up and makes a difference.”