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Nicholas Orsatti

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

$2,817

My Goal

$2,000

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My Activity Tracking

1,419
kms

My target 400 kms

I'm done!


So I started with a goal of raising $1000 and riding 200kms..... Thanks to so many awesome friends, family and organisations, I raised over $2,100 and Team Ors-mm collectively raised over $10,000!

Mid way during this, given the overwhelming response in donations, I doubled down and upped the goal to 400kms...

So my final tally - 468 kms, with 4,765m of hills climbed!

There's nothing like the motivation of raising money and awareness for a cause so close to me and my family; it just goes to show how you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it...

And it's kickstarted my motivation to get back on the fitness bandwagon, I was doing well until the lockdown, and then fell off the wagon, so thanks to Ride for Autism for bringing the motivation!

300 kms done.... 100 to go...


Well nearly - 296 to be precise, and with 4 days to go I'm pleased to say that I'm well on track to getting to the 400km mark.. The photo is from my ride this morning and I'm sporting my new Ride for Autism bandana!

Due to work and family commitments I have been doing a lot of my riding on an indoor trainer with the Zwift app - which is like a gamified training / riding experience. I've been joined by Max and Dave, and we've been also hooking up a MS Teams call at the same time to make the kilometres pass easily.

When not joined by a team mate, I've been using this time to do what I used to do as a kid - listen to albums cover to cover - I miss the whole concept of the album; the telling of a story or a journey through music, with two acts (side 1 and side 2) and an accompanying artwork complete with its own story. Used to love reading the stories, the credits and the inspiration for the albums.. 

I'll be riding each morning this week  and then maybe a bigger one on Friday if I can manage it, followed by a weekend group ride again to complete the journey.

Thanks again for all those who are supporting me, by joining the team, by everyone's words of encouragement on various social platforms, and of course by all the lovely people donating to assist my fundraiser. 

Now lets get this thing done!

Team Ors-mm Ride 1

Huge thanks to Troy, Max, Matty & Sam for an epic day of riding in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. 

We all clocked between 80 and 120km for the day, the weather was perfect and the route took in some of Sydney’s best coastal views. 

Below is short little video of the ride. Enjoy!

https://www.relive.cc/view/vevYVdYe4yO

100km down, 300 to go...


After the unexpected level of donations I got the guilts and doubled my kilometre goal, which let’s just say is a tad ambitious for me to do in a week. 

I can pedal pretty consistently an average of 20-22km/h, maybe a bit slower with lots of hills. So do the maths, 400kms equates to a lot of hours in the saddle! 

So I’ve got in early and have 100kms done before the official start date tomorrow. I’ll be trying to do most kms on the road, but will supplement this with virtual rides on my trainer using the Zwift  platform. 

Many thanks to Max Davies for joining me on a virtual ride this morning. After he left I continued and was accompanied by The Black Crowe’s fine album Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Haven’t listened  to that in it’s entirety for many years. 

Dad... a film about autism and fatherhood.

I know a lot of you will already be aware of this, but a little while ago I participated as one of the dads interviewed for DadFilm, a film about autism and fatherhood.

Whilst it was a little confronting for me to share our story, I did so in the hope that it provided a little more insight into what an autism diagnosis might mean for others, and specifically for other dads that are going on a similar journey.

If you haven't watched it I would certainly encourage you to do so - I think you'll find it uplifting and help you to understand that whist there are many challenges, there are equally many positives.


Time to up the stakes!

So I've been blown away by the support, encouragement and generosity of so many people who have supported the cause that I thought I might need to up my game!

So I'm now doubling down on my distance goal - I started this with a 200km goal, but given you all have doubled what my fundraising stretch target was, best I do the same with the distance I need to pedal, so 400kms it is!

Disclaimer - I also need to work over this time and I'm not absolved of my family responsibilities, so I started the distance count last week and will conclude on the 12th July - and depending on how it goes, I may also need to jump on the static trainer and put some kms on that as well! Yeesh! Wish me luck!

Image is from the Bathurst Classic recently, with my good mate Davey who got me back on a bicycle!

Marcellos new bike

So one of the challenges being a parent of kids on the spectrum is the feeling of missing out on the connections you see between typically developing kids and their parents. 

One of the major challenges for people on the spectrum is their struggles with social interaction and engagement, and this extends to their immediate family. 

I remember the early years, and really just longing for engagement with my kids that my friends had with their kids. Such simple things but seemingly so far away. 

This is massively confounded when your kids are non verbal. The simple act of asking how their day was, understanding what’s making them happy, angry, sad. What their interests are.

There’s a good reason the universal symbol for autism is the puzzle piece. Life is a massive puzzle and it’s infinitely more complex if you can’t communicate  the way that you’re used to. 

It’s frustrating for me. But my frustration pales into significance compared to what my kids frustration must be. 

The simple things..... like  working out what interests them, to hopefully finding a common thread to a common interest together. 

Which brings me to Marcello's bike. As a toddler we had a bike seat for him; one of the ones that were on the bikes crossbar in front of me. He loved it, being up front and the sensation of speed. 

After diagnosis, during the course of a lot of early intervention therapy, we tried many times with balance bikes, scooters, trikes etc over the years. None really glued. 

Until this year, Bron found out about Freedom Bikes and we organised a session to see what type of bike would suit. Step forward to now, and he has his own set of wheels tailored for him!

A couple of weeks ago his bike arrived and we go out down to a quiet and safe spot down by the river to practice riding and working on safety skills. He’s doing awesome and hopefully in the not too distant future father and son will be riding together, sharing the common interest that I have been longing to do for 10+’years. 

Every family with someone on the spectrum has a story like this. Know that your donation will help enable a family like ours to realise  something in your life you may very well have taken for granted. 


Why is this important to me?

I have been living with an ever increasing understanding of living with autism in this world for about 10 year now. 

With both of my children diagnosed with autism, its the only world I know. Like all parents, I am super proud of my kids. But unlike a lot of parents, I have witnessed their everyday struggle in coping with a world that does not understand them, and is certainly not accommodating of them.

So many things I took for granted - being able to talk and be understood, being able to care for yourself, being able to stay safe, being able to ride a bike....

So, at age 12, Marcello has his first bike - well, it not technically his first, but its the first one he looks like he is actually taking to... And as an avid cyclist, you can imagine the joy that brings for me; to be able to enjoy a common pastime with my son, one that I've wanted to do for so long.

So I guess my motivation is simple - ride a bike with my boy, and raise money and awareness for people just like him, and perhaps for people not as fortunate as him...

I'm riding for....

I’m riding for autism to help create a world where no-one on the autism spectrum is left behind. 

I've set my challenge and I'll be riding from Sunday 5th - 12th July while raising much needed funds to support people on the autism spectrum.

An estimated 1 in every 70 people is on the spectrum. Along with their family members, this means autism is a part of daily life for over a million Australians.

People on the spectrum see, hear, feel and experience the world differently. For many, simply coping with the everyday can lead to confusion, anxiety and isolation.

By coming together and taking action, we can help provide opportunities for people on the autism spectrum to participate, engage and thrive in the world around them.

Help make my ride count and show your support by donating today!

My Achievements

Added Profile Picture

Shared Fundraising Page

First Donation

Halfway to Fundraising Goal

Fundraising Goal Reached

Reached KM Goal

Thank you to my Sponsors

$261

Scott Bryant

$261

Anonymous

Go, go, go Team Orsmm. Well done Marcello on your latest achievement

$261

Linda Robinson

Way to go Nick!!!

$261

Nicholas Orsatti

$208.80

Grandma

Ride well & enjoy. Great job!

$104.40

Jeremy And Emma

I want to see some serious km's. Smash that goal! And Marcello looks awesome on his bike, glad he is enjoying it.

$104.40

Terry Cominakis

Congratulations Nick. Inspiring effort including your physical transformation.

$104.40

Gerald Lipman

Amazing effort........congratulations.

$104.40

Michael Lasa

Go team Orsatti!

$104.40

Samantha Reynolds Nuttycombe

From all of us Nuttycombes, with love. Go team!

$104.40

Sue Marsh

Your cause is close to my heart - All the best with your ride and enjoy the experience. U r doing a wonderful thing. Hi to Nisi too.

$55

Shane Bailey

A great cause and a great effort by all! Ride on! Well done team Ors-mm!

$52.20

Brian Widenstrom

Glad to help Nick

$52.20

Brenda Perry (mitchell)

$52.20

Anna Nuttycombe

Go Marcello!

$52.20

Adam Goddard

Thank you for your inspiration and drive for an important cause

$52.20

Kylie

$52.20

Fiona & Matt Thomson

Fantastic effort for a very worthy cause. Well done !!

$52.20

Niside Orsatti

Wish you all the best Nick.

$52.20

Ewan Mcdonald

$52.20

Damon J Pieterse

A very worthy cause. Great work Nick and team for all that you’ve done.

$52.20

Zareh Davidyan

$52.20

Zac Carmont

Phenomenal sir! Need a replica Mary’s burger and a couple old fashions after that insane effort. Hats off to you and the team brother - truly inspiring 🤘🏼🙏💪🏼

$52.20

Alison Mansell

Ors-mm In so many ways! Go team

$52.20

Lynne Pike-overall

Good luck, and happy cycling!

$52.20

Deryk Proudlock

Good on you Nick... Yourself and Bronwyn are truely inspirational parents. Wishing you happiness and the best of luck with the ride.... The Proudlock’s

$50

Lisa Pennell

Good luck !!!

$26.10

Vittoria Nicolosi

Best wishes to Nick and Marcello 🤗

$26.10

Kathleen Healy

Ride like the wind!

$25

Nerdservices

Own it legend

$25

Adam Farrugia

Best of luck with the journey 😊

Our Team