What would spur a mother to trek thousands of kilometres across the most rural and remote corners of Australia using only a pushbike and horses?
For Australian author Maura Luxford, the answer lay in a promise born out of every parent’s worst nightmare: the tragic loss of her 20-year-old daughter, Hannah, to melanoma.
East Gippsland residents will have the opportunity to hear this deeply moving story firsthand when Maura launches her new book, ride4acure: Origin Story, at The Book Orchard in Bairnsdale on Friday, July 17, at 5.30pm.
The memoir takes readers back to the very beginning, sharing the raw grief and the ultimate seed of hope that took root in Maura’s heart. Refusing to let her daughter’s memory fade, she came out the other side of profound loss with a fiery vision to create lasting change for young people across the nation.
That vision manifested into ride4acure, a powerhouse campaign that has left a permanent imprint on the Australian landscape.
By traversing the outback and regional communities on horseback and bicycle, Maura has spent years quietly doing extraordinary things — namely, raising the health literacy of young Australians in rural and remote areas where skin cancer awareness and medical access can be critically limited.
ride4acure: Origin Story is an authentic, real-life Australian tale that balances the heavy weight of loss and grief with the uplifting power of love, hope, and eventual triumph. It offers an intimate look at how one ordinary woman transformed personal devastation into a national legacy.
The upcoming Bairnsdale event promises to be an inspiring evening for book lovers, community advocates, and anyone touched by stories of regional resilience. Attendees will have the chance to meet Maura, hear details of her epic cross-country journeys, and purchase signed copies of the book.
For those unable to attend the physical launch, copies of ride4acure: Origin Story — available in both print and ebook formats — can be purchased online.
