For the past five years since REACH’s inception, our annual student bike ride Side by Side has been empowering our students to dream big and pedal towards their goals. This past March, we commemorated our 5th year anniversary as an organisation and our 5th annual Side by Side ride. As we reflect on our growth, we are filled with pride, seeing the progress that our students have made.
The REACH Riders Club began in 2020 as an activity for our students to stay active during the Covid 19 pandemic. Little did we know that it would be the start of something extraordinary for our community.
For many of our students, who come from underprivileged backgrounds, the opportunity to cycle on mountain bikes with their peers was a life-changing outlet. During the ride, our students were able to be kids, for a few hours, relieved from the day-to-day pressures of supporting their families to survive. At REACH, we like to say that Side by Side is more than just a cycling challenge. It’s an event that builds determination and inspires our students to reach their full potential.
But why take it from us, when you can hear directly from our alumnus Soknov, one of our first students to join REACH. He’s graduated from his vocational training placement at Sala Baï Hotel & Restaurant School. As an adult now, Soknov has just successfully gained fair employment at a 4 Star hotel in Koh Rong.
Over the course of his 5 years at our organisation, he participated in our Side by Side cycling challenge 3 times.
Cycling 200km in just 2 days is already a challenging feat in itself. The combination of extreme heat and humidity, and the dusty and potholes-filled paths adds to the challenge. Despite these conditions, we witness our students’ sheer determination and passion to overcome obstacles in their way, as they push on to reach the finish line. Every year, our team members have always said that the students become very curious on the ride, always asking questions about the places and the communities they cycle across. What’s even more impressive is the fact that some of our students are as young as 12 years old. While it might seem that they are just trying to cycle 200km at the event, they are training hard for real life and learning the process of achieving their goals.
We were so proud that 42 of our students took on the challenge this year. Seeing our parents and guardians coming to cheer them all on at the Finish Line was an incredible highlight of the event. The proud smiles on their faces made us all happy. We are so appreciative of our youth sponsors, event sponsors and supporters for making this event possible.
Our student excitedly cycled through town on the ride.
It is heart-warming to see our local and global community coming together ‘side by side’ on this charity bike ride. Likewise, two of our riders for this year are keen to share their perspectives from the ride and express what they have learned as a first-time rider and a returning rider.
Hear from one of our dedicated riders Rider #40, who also delivered a very inspiring speech in English at the campsite on the halfway mark. Below is her reflection about her experience on the 2025 Side by Side ride.
** All names have been changed for child protection purposes.
Rider #40 proudly holding her written reflection.
Hello everyone! My name is Pisey, and I’m 16 years old. I’m a Youth Pathways Level 1 student at REACH, and I’m excited to share with you my experience participating in the Side-by-Side event for the first time. This event is a huge thing for me, and I feel proud of what I did.
Over a period of 2 days, I tried to complete a 200km cycling challenge. It was something I had never done before. It was my first time, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could do it or not. But to my amazement, I managed to finish the entire ride, and the feeling of achieving that goal made me so happy and proud of myself. Of course, it wasn’t easy. There were moments when it hurt, and my body was exhausted, but I didn’t give up. What made me happy and so proud was the big support from my friends and teachers. I wasn’t the only one joining SBS Event for the first time. Many other students were cycling for the first time, too. It was inspiring to see everyone come together, encouraging and supporting each other.
During the ride, I felt completely drained, but then, just as I needed it most, we arrived at the water stops. Those breaks were such a relief, and I have to say, the snacks and Royal D at the water stop made everything so much better. The muffins and watermelons were especially delicious. It was small but so important to keep us going.
One of the biggest lessons I took away from the Side-by-Side was the importance of teamwork and respect. We had to respect our leaders and keep a good line-up on the road. It taught me how to cooperate with my friends and stay focused, making sure that we obeyed the traffic laws for everyone’s safety. It taught me that when we cycle or do anything big or small, it requires perseverance and never giving up. These are the lessons that I will carry with me, not just in cycling, but in life as well. I will take these lessons I learned and apply them directly to help me succeed in becoming a doctor in the future.
I’m grateful for this experience and for the people who supported me along the way. Special thanks to the sponsors who supported me as well as my friends on the ride, so that we all could gain new experiences and knowledge. We are so happy that everyone sponsored us. It is such a great encouragement. Thank you for sponsoring me, thank you for sponsoring us!
It was an unforgettable journey, and I look forward to participating again in the future.
Rider #40, on the far left, with her friends at the snack stop.
We also have Rider #34, who has been on the ride twice now, and is also very excited to share his story and perspectives about the Side by Side ride. Rider #34 has recently been placed at a vocational training school Sala Baï where he’ll learn about hospitality for a year. Visoth reflects that:
The Side by Side event gives me a chance to reflect on life and has changed me a lot. It gives me the courage to speak publicly in front of people and gives me strength. It teaches me how to have clear goals and how to achieve them.
I started to fall in love with cycling after joining REACH. My favorite experience during Side by side is that I can see a lot of new things and I can talk with my friends and have a good time with them. I really liked the karaoke time when I got to dance, and I could learn new styles from my teammates. I also like cycling very much because it helps me to learn how to lead and gives me a lot of experiences. Not only that, when I’m riding a bike, even though I’m tired and encounter difficulties, I still try to keep going until I reach my goal.
I love this experience so much because even if we encounter hundreds of thousands of obstacles, we must move towards the goal we want to reach. As the saying goes “winners never quit, quitters never win,” and I feel proud to be able to reach the finish line.
In the future, I want to achieve the goal I am currently pursuing, which is to learn new skills and improve myself. I have gained a lot of experience from riding 200 kilometers on my bike. No matter how difficult things may be in the future, I will not give up on my goal.
So, to me, cycling is not just a sport for physical health. Life is like cycling. If you keep going, you will find your goals and reach your destinations. If you stop, you won’t find it. I want to be able to find what I may not have discovered yet, to take it as a life experience to achieve my current and future dreams.
Rider #34 proudly receiving his certificate at the finish line.
We cannot be prouder of our students and what they have achieved. Over the years, we’ve had more students joining our Side by Side event. It is so inspiring to witness the growth and development of their confidence and skills. When Rider #40 delivered her speech at the halfway mark, speaking clearly and coherently in English, even though she struggled when she first joined REACH, we were beaming with pride. After the event, our students also got to participate in a drawing and reflection sessions where they shared what they’ve learnt and framed their favourite photos from the ride. Utilising their creativity and artistic skills, these young students made the most adorable photo collections for keepsakes.
These young students are growing in front of our eyes, becoming skilled and competent in what they do. Nothing makes us happier, and we become even more hopeful for the many bright futures ahead of us.
Thank you to all our supporters and sponsors for making Side by Side possible for five consecutive years! This event is special for us and even more so for our students and their families.
And it’s going to be another amazing adventure next year!
If you are feeling inspired by our students’ reflections, come along and join us on our Side by Side event this upcoming December 2025, where our new cohort of Riders Club’s students will take on the 200km challenge . If you’d like to get involved, click here to learn more.