We all know that riding a bike is cool (well, most of us, anyway) –- it’s good for you and, when used as a form of transportation, it’s good for the environment. And, of course, helping out your favorite charity is cool. So who’s the coolest? It’s gotta be Matt Damon!
Damon braved strong winds, up to 60 miles per hour, to take part in the 110k (68 miles) Cape Argus Cycle Tour to raise money for the Make a Difference charity. He’s currently in South Africa filming Clint Eastwood’s new film, The Human Factor, in which he plays former rugby captain Francois Pienaar. Morgan Freeman also stars in the film as Nelson Mandela.
So, you’re thinking: Big deal. He rode a bike in some wind and raised some money. Way to go. But really, it is a big deal. About 35,000 cyclists were registered, but 26,000 were brave enough to show up at the starting line. It took Damon and his team (which consisted of his younger brother and Pienaar, the man he’s portraying in the film) nearly seven hours to cross the finish line –- nearly four hours longer than it took the winner.
Damon’s chosen charity, Make a Difference, is labeled as “an ambitious Community Interest Company that encourages, supports, and recognizes 13- to 25-year-olds who want to take action and volunteer their time for the benefit of others,” according to the charity’s website. But that’s not the only charity Damon has been helping out lately.
He’s one of the founders of Not On Our Watch, along with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle and Jerry Weintraub. He also founded H2O Africa, the charity associated with the Running the Sahara expedition, and has hosted the OneXOne, awards two times to date. Plus, he’s a supporter of more charities than a kindergartner can count!
Damon might play an action hero in the Bourne trilogy, but he’s showing us all how we can be real heroes in our every day lives. Take a cue from him and do a race for charity this summer, or donate your time or money to your favorite cause!