TRAVERSE Issue 11 - April 2019 | Page 96

Changing Gear With Full Tank ROLLING WITH PURPOSE Motorcyclists are a philanthropic bunch, donating tens of millions of dollars annually to worthy causes, Full Tank Moto, a registered Australian charity charte- red with raising awareness of and funds to support men’s health around the world is taking the concept a step further. “When it comes to apparel, (why) do we only have choice from ‘for-profit’ manufactu- rers?”, asks Full Tank foun- der, Scott Wilson. “Full Tank looks to challenge that landscape and become a global brand motorcyclists feel not only delivers a great product, but gives back to their health and that of fellow riders at the same time. It’s a way to roll with purpose, every day.” To this end, 100% of the profits raised by Full Tank will go to the Movem- ber Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research into prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide prevention. This is something that Wilson is parti- cularly passionate about, as many in this field of social enterprise only pass on a small percentage of their profits. “To make real change and be authentic in life to your- self and others, it is important that you are all in, or not at all.” he explains. The seeds of Full Tank were sown a few years ago when Wilson learned that a friend’s child had taken their own life. “A teenager with seemingly every- thing ahead was, without anyone’s knowledge, suffering from de- pression,” Wilson says. “In that same week I heard an old school friend had also committed suicide, and another friend just sold his motorcycle sim- ply to keep the family fed. When experien- cing dark times, it’s easy to think you’re alone or even broken. I know because I have been there. But with these events, something told me to do more with what I know. What I have. The wheels in my head started to turn.” It was a chance encoun- ter with one of the world’s great motorcycling cham- pions that crystallised Wilson’s thoughts and led to the creation of Full Tank. “Not long after I had moved to New Zealand from my native Australia, in 2016, I had a chance encounter with one of New Zealand’s motorcycle greats, Hugh Anderson MBE,” Wilson explains. TRAVERSE 96