RIDE FOR FREEDOM WITH GORDON MILLER

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Guinness World Record cyclist tours German Bundesliga clubs to “show a red card” to end modern slavery and human trafficking in football

Briton Gordon Miller, a 2x Cycling Guinness World Record title holder, will lead an impactful bike ride, the German Bundesliga Cycling Tour 2022, from 28 April-15 May 2022. The approximately 2,500km ride will visit the 18 German Bundesliga League football clubs to raise awareness of modern slavery and specifically human trafficking in football. 

There are more than 40 million women, children and men worldwide in some form of slavery on any given day, according to the Global Slavery Index. The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 2020 Report notes that “within Europe’s soccer industry alone, it is estimated there are 15,000 human trafficking victims each year”.

Supported by iPoint-systems, led by Joerg Walden, the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD) SOAS University of London, led by Dr J. Simon Rofe, and Ardea International, led by Colleen Theron, the tour will engage with the Bundesliga clubs, local sport and cycling clubs, corporates, NGOs and sports bodies to educate and raise awareness of child trafficking within the communities. 

The planned Tour departs from Munich and finishes in Berlin, visiting cities including Stuttgart, Dortmund and Leipzig. Cyclists, fans and sponsors will support the Tour and ride alongside Miller at various stages along the route. The Tour is supported by bike manufacturer Orbea, for whom Miller is a brand ambassador, and sponsored by iPoint-systems, Schwalbe, and Staffgroup.

“I’m delighted to be associated with these purpose-driven companies,” said Miller. “Their support has enabled the Tour by underwriting the administrative, logistical and marketing costs to raise awareness to end modern slavery and human trafficking in football, and fundraise for Freewheel by Ride For Freedom to empower survivors to cycle.”Miller set a new Guinness World Record “Greatest distance covered by an electric bicycle in one week” last year. He cycled 1706.85km (1,060 miles) the length of Spain in 1 week, from 1-8 October 2021. He had previously set a Guinness World Record when he cycled 620.5 miles around England, in October 2020, to spell the words “end modern slavery’. The verified challenge saw him become the titleholder for “the largest GPS drawing by bicycle (individual)”.

Fact file

  • We want to raise awareness of modern slavery and specifically human trafficking in football; to fundraise to develop Freewheel by Ride For Freedom that empowers survivors – women, children and men – of modern day slavery to cycle, support the clubs to demonstrate how they meet their human rights responsibilities and minimise their adverse impacts, and to seed Ride For Freedom Germany
  • Dates: 28 April-15 May 2022
  • Duration: 16 cycling days 
  • Length: ~2,500km
  • Tour sponsors: iPoint-systems, Schwalbe, and Staffgroup

 

Ride For Freedom holds the SDG8.7 aligned mission to harness the universal appeal of cycling to raise awareness, educate and forge partnerships to end modern slavery and provide remedies to survivors. Ride For Freedom achieves its mission by creating and leading unique cycling challenges and events and by partnering with high impact sports clubs, companies and aligned charities. 

Support Gordons ‘Ride For Freedom’ and Freewheel by donating here.

 

#EndModernSlavery #RideForFreedom www.RideForFreedom.org.uk