Hunter Williams will ride 3,500km through Europe to raise funds to support Australian families who are caring for someone with an eating disorder. 

The name of his fundraising campaign – Hunter’s Uphill Fundraiser – pays tribute to those families and the challenges they face. 

“Looking after someone with an eating disorder can really feel like you are riding uphill a lot of the time,” the 19-year-old from Gisborne in Victoria says. 

Hunter has already tackled loneliness, weeks of rain, and multiple flat tyres to raise funds for Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), a national organisation focussed solely on supporting families and carers of those with eating disorders. 

Setting off from the Czech Republic a month ago, Hunter has raised just over $10,000 and still has about two months of cycling in front of him. 

“On the first few days of my ride, I was thinking about several people very close to me who have suffered and are suffering from eating disorders and how horrible this is for both them and their families,” Hunter says. 

“I would like the funds I raise to be used to continue the amazing educational network EDFA provides and to sustain the community of families who can then share their otherwise silent struggles.” 

Established in 2016, EDFA currently supports more than 3,000 members and has helped hundreds of carers and families over the years.  

EDFA holds over 90 online support group meetings and education webinars each year. It has specific support groups for men, a wide variety of eating disorder diagnoses, and is the only eating disorder organisation in Australia to offer a support group specifically for siblings of those living with eating disorders.  

“When I decided to fundraise for a cause as a way to motivate me on my ride, EDFA was mentioned so many times as an organisation that is greatly helping families of individuals suffering from eating disorders,” Hunter says. 

A complete bikepacking amateur, Hunter describes his journey as an extremely emotionally maturing experience. He faced two weeks of rain when he first set out, meaning his camping equipment and other belongings remained sodden. He then faced extreme temperatures and a day of multiple flat tyres, but he says he just tries to take each day as it comes and sets small goals for himself. 

“Without a doubt, the most challenging part is the loneliness. Spending so much time in a foreign country away from my family and friends has been really difficult,” he says.

“Thankfully, I have found the amazing hospitality of fellow backpackers and locals incredible, with many offering me a place to sleep for the night and to have a warm shower.”

Hunter’s journey will take him from the Czech Republic through parts of eastern Europe, down to Greece and he will then travel via ferry to Italy before finishing his journey in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. 

EDFA Executive Director Jane Rowan says the organisation is so grateful for Hunter’s efforts to support the organisation’s valuable work. 

“Hunter is an inspiration to us all. We are in awe of the challenge he has set himself and thankful that he has chosen to raise awareness of the struggles that so many Australian families are facing right now as they are caring for a loved one with an eating disorder,” Ms Rowan says. 

Check out Hunter’s fundraising page here. 

EDFA is an ACNC-registered charity. All donations over $2 are tax deductible. 

For more information about Hunter’s Uphill Fundraiser or photos of his journey, contact EDFA Marketing and Communications Manager Tracey Adamson on tracey.adamson@edfa.org.au or 0475 612 314.