A group of friends rode 400km in 24 hours to support two great causes
A GREAT ACT OF FRIENDSHIP
INESH HENSMAN AND SEB MATHER ( BOTH ’ 09 )
A 24-hour sponsored bike ride raised $ 38,208 , half of which will be donated to Kidney Health Australia , and half to support an Old Boy from the Class of 2009 who is living with kidney disease .
Seb Mather and Inesh Hensman go way back – right back to Prep at Scotch in fact , where both began in 1997 . They completed their Scotch education as members of the Class of 2009 . Inesh was Seb ’ s first and best friend at Prep , and the friendship remained close right through school .
But after leaving school , Inesh was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 20 . He had a kidney transplant , but after a few years his body started to reject his kidney . For the past five years , Inesh has needed dialysis three times a week , and has been in and out of hospital for treatment and procedures .
Just over a year ago , Inesh went into cardiac arrest , and remarkably was saved by his sister . He was on life support for two weeks , and since then has had to relearn how to walk and talk . He is still working hard in his rehabilitation to get back to everyday life .
On 6 February , led by Seb Mather , a small group of Inesh ’ s close friends and family members completed a 24-hour bike ride , to benefit Kidney Health Australia and Inesh . The group had planned to ride from Sydney to Melbourne last October , but with the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 they changed to a 24-hour virtual bike ride on Zwift ( a virtual cycling program connected to the group ' s bikes ).
There were six riders in Melbourne : Luke Dowse , Ben Temby , Seb Mather (’ 09 ), Heshan Gunewardena , with Inesh ' s father , Chris Hensman , and another friend , Mitch Ho Tak , who relieved Chris periodically throughout the 24-hour period . In New Zealand , another rider , Tom Bywater , also participated , and the team kept in touch with Tom via Zoom on a TV screen .
It was a tough gig . Each group member met or exceeded the target of riding 400km in the 24-hour period , staying on the bikes for 16 to 18 hours while being supported by family and friends throughout the ride .
The excellent final total was $ 38,208 , which included generous support from Scotch ’ s Class of ’ 09 . Kidney Health Australia and Inesh Hensman will each receive half of the funds . Kidney Health Australia will devote the funds to life-changing support services , critical research and resources to support those affected by kidney disease .
Inesh ’ s share of the funds will help towards securing his financial independence , as he has been forced to miss many work days ever since his diagnosis . It was a great act of friendship by Seb and the team , which has provided practical support to Kidney Health Australia , as well as to a much-loved school friend .
www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 65